SPECIAL

PUBLICATION
November 1992

Useful Information for

Newly Commissioned
Officers
NAVEDTRA 12967

DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

 Although the words “he,” “him,” and
“his” are used sparingly in this course to
enhance communication, they are not
intended to be gender driven or to affront or
discriminate against anyone.

DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

 USEFUL INFORMATION FOR
NEWLY COMMISSIONED OFFICERS

NAVEDTRA 12967

1992 Edition Prepared by

LT Laura J. White
 WELCOME ABOARD

To the newly commissioned officer:

You will encounter a marked difference in many social customs in your
transition to Navy life. We have prepared this book as a handy reference to help
you adjust more easily to your new life and to expose you to information that
might take you several years to discover on your own.
This book provides information to officers from any number of
commissioning programs; hence, some of it may be redundant or not applicable
to you. References used were the most current at the time of publication;
however, you should use the most recent series if changes have occurred.

i
 CONTENTS

Page
CHAPTER 1 YOUR CAREER IN THE NAVY . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

Officer Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

Officer Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Military Duty for Women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Subspecialties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Your Duty Preferences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
How Fast Will You Be Promoted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
How Much Will You Be Paid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Flight and Submarine Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Transfer to the Regular Navy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6

CHAPTER 2 YOUR ORDERS TO DUTY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

Detachment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Military Personnel Identification Number And Designator . . . . . 2-1
A Typical set of Orders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Navy Sponsor Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Executing Your Orders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Proceed Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Travel Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Leave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
NROTC Reserve and Reserve Officers Reporting From
Civilian Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Figuring the Effective Date of Your Orders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Travel Expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Miscellaneous Travel Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Temporary Lodging Allowance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Overseas Transfer Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Travel Advances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13

CHAPTER 3 FIRST DUTY ADVICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

Before Reporting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

Finding Your Ship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Reporting Aboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Settling-in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Obtaining Housing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Adjusting to Life Aboard Ship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Assuming Your Duties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8

ii
CHAPTER 4 PERSONAL AFFAIRS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1

Your Military Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1

Officer Qualification Questionnaire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Your Pay Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Dependent Identification Cards (DD-1173). . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8
Medical Care for Dependents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8
Life Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10
Survivor Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12
Legal Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13
Your Mailing Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14
Transportation and Storage of Personal Property . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15

CHAPTER 5 CUSTOMS OF THE SERVICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1

Naval Courtesy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1

The Salute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
Headgear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Handshake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Forms of Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Relations of Seniors and Juniors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Relations Between Officers and Enlisted Personnel . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Suggestions for Junior Officers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Orders and Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Wardroom Etiquette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Boat Etiquette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Conduct in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Official Correspondence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Uniforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Grooming Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9

CHAPTER 6 PROGRAMS AND POLICIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1

Core Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1

Navy Leader Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Navy Enlisted Advancement System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Command Managed Equal Opportunity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Fraternization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Sexual Harassment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Family Support Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Single Parenting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Navy Wifeline Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Health and Physical Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Sexual Responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Alcohol and Drug Abuse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6

iii
CHAPTER 7 SOCIAL ETIQUETTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1

Personal Dress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1

Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Invitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Replies to Invitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
Introductions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
Miscellaneous Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4

CHAPTER 8 PROFESSIONAL READING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1

Reading Hints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1

Command Indoctrination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Nonresident Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
The Naval Institute. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2
Women Officers’ Professional Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2
Your Old Textbooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2
Reading List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2
Navy Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6

CHAPTER 9 OPPORTUNITY FOR EDUCATION . . . . . . . . . . 9-1

Educational Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-1

Professional Development Educational Programs for
Officer Personnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Veterans Administration Educational Assistance Programs . . . . . 9-3

POSTSCRIPT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P-1

APPENDIX I—Officer Professional Development Paths . . . . . . . . . . AI-1

APPENDIX II—Abbreviations for Orders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AII-1

APPENDIX III—Navy Lodges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AIII-1

APPENDIX IV—Helpful Hints for Your Move . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AIV-1

iv
 CHAPTER 1
YOUR CAREER IN THE NAVY
The Navy, like any other large organization,
constantly strives to be among the leaders in the many
fields of technological advancement through
continuing research and developmental efforts. These
efforts also encompass the design and application of
modern managerial techniques to do the best job in
the most efficient and effective manner because we
are, first of all, an organization of people.
When you accepted a commission in the Navy,
you became a member of the Navy team. You can
expect a challenging and rewarding career in such
varying fields as aviation, oceanography, space
development, nuclear propulsion, sound propagation,
ship and weapons systems development, financial and
personnel management, and project development and
management.
OFFICER CATEGORIES
You received your commission as either a line or
staff officer, depending upon your educational and
physical qualifications, your interests, and your prior
experience. Within the line designation, you are
either an unrestricted line (URL) officer or a restricted
line (RL) officer. Defined simply, URL officers are
those considered eligible for command either ashore
or at sea within one of the five areas of warfare
expertise: surface, aviation, submarine, special
operations, or special warfare. General URL officers
are eligible only for command of shore activities.
The RL officer category includes those officers
qualified to serve in highly specialized jobs, such as
engineering duty or aeronautical engineering and
maintenance duty. RL officers may command
auxiliary vessels and designated shore activities.
Officers specializing in areas such as medicine,
supply, civil engineering, law, dentistry, theology, or
nursing receive commissions in the staff corps. Like
RL officers, staff corps officers are not eligible for
command at sea but may assume command of
activities within their own corps.
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OFFICER ASSIGNMENTS
Specific types of duty assignments for each
officer will vary, depending on the officer’s specialty,
educational training, and interests. Those of you who
plan a career in the unrestricted line will find
additional information in the Naval Officer Career
Planning Guidebook, OPNAV P-13-1-86.
Typical professional development patterns are
shown in view A of appendix I. These illustrations
show the general progression of assignments and
promotions the various officer communities can
expect. (The number of years’ continuous service
[YCS] between promotions shown in the exhibits is
an average.) No two officers will follow identical
career patterns; however, on the average, the
successful officer will meet most of the career
milestones in about the same sequence shown in
appendix I. For instance, if you select a career as a
surface warfare officer, you may stay at sea the first 4
years because of operational requirements or personal
choice. During this time you will strive to complete
personnel qualification standards (PQS) and qualify
as division officer, officer of the deck, engineering
officer of the watch, surface warfare officer and be
selected for department head school. Then you may
rotate ashore for staff duty or to attend the Naval
Postgraduate School. Although you did not follow
the development plan exactly, you will have obtained
the experience and qualifications necessary to make
you competitive with your year-group peers.
Views B through H of appendix I are examples of
professional development patterns in other career
specialty fields. The career path for female officers
parallels that of male officers except as constrained by
law.
MILITARY DUTY FOR WOMEN
Navy and Marine Corps women are a valuable
personnel resource who contribute significantly to the
Navy’s mission.
Title 10, U.S. Code, Section 6015, states that
women are allowed to fly combatant aircraft in
combat and serve on combatant vessels if attached to
an aircraft squadron; otherwise, women are prohibited
from serving on board combatant vessels.
This law allows women to be permanently
assigned to designated ships such as tenders,
transports, hospital ships, and vessels of a similar
classification. It also allows women to be temporarily
assigned to any naval vessel or aircraft squadron for
up to 180 days provided the ship or squadron is not
expected to be assigned to a combat mission.
DUTY DEFINITIONS
The following definitions will assist you in
understanding the types of duty to which women may
be assigned:
1. Combat mission. A combat mission is a
mission of an individual unit, ship, or aircraft whose
primary objective, individually or collectively as a
naval task organization, is to seek out, reconnoiter,
and engage an enemy.
2. Risk rule. The risk rule is the criteria upon
which noncombat positions are closed to women. It is
based upon the risks of direct combat, exposure to
hostile fire, and capture when the type, degree, and
duration of such risks are equal to or greater than the
combat units with which they are normally associated
within a given theater of operation.
3. Temporary duty. Temporary duty (TEMDU)
orders are orders that involve detachment from one
station and assignment to another station or stations
for TEMDU pending further assignment to a new
permanent duty station or for return to the old
permanent duty station. Members on TEMDU are not
attached to any permanent duty station.
4. Temporary additional duty. Temporary
additional duty (TEMADD) orders assign members to
TEMDU in addition to their present duties and direct
them upon completion of this TEMADD to resume
regular or temporary duty.
POLICY
The policy of the Department of the Navy is to
assign all women members to billets commensurate
with their capabilities to the maximum extent
practicable. The policy for assigning women
members is as follows:
1. Women may not be assigned to a unit, a ship,
or an aircraft that has a combat mission except as
provided below. If assigned on a vessel or an aircraft
required to execute a combat mission, every
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reasonable effort will be made to disembark women
before execution of such mission.
2. Women may be assigned to the following
types of duty:
• Permanent duty in hospital ships, oilers,
ammunition ships, refrigerated stores ships,
transports, training ships, and vessels of a similar
classification not expected to be assigned a combat
mission.
• Temporary duty (TEMDU or TEMADD) to
any ship or aircraft not expected to conduct a combat
mission during the period of temporary duty. Such
periods of temporary duty may not exceed 180 days.
The Chief of Naval Operations and the Commandant
of the Marine Corps may issue specific guidelines
governing these assignments.
• Permanent duty in squadrons where such
assignment would not require them to participate as
crew members in a combat mission or to embark,
other than during TEMADD, in vessels that may be
assigned combat missions. They may be assigned to
aircrew and support positions in squadrons that do not
have combat missions. Women may be assigned
nonaircrew support positions on land-based
squadrons with combat missions. The Chief of Naval
Operations and the Commandant of the Marine Corps
will specify those squadrons in which women may be
assigned.
3. Women are authorized to participate as crew
members or passengers in aircraft engaged in training
or support, including landing on shipboard flight
decks under conditions permitting temporary duty on
naval vessels, if the aircraft is not expected to execute
a combat mission during the period of the assignment.
4. Notwithstanding any of the provisions above,
the Chief of Naval Operations and the Commandant
of the Marine Corps may preclude women from the
assignment to a noncombatant unit, ship, or aircraft.
They may preclude such assignments when the type,
degree, and duration of risk of direct combat,
exposure to hostile fire, or capture are equal to or
greater than the reasonably anticipated risks for land,
air, or sea combatant units with which they are
normally associated in a theater of operations.
MISSION
The policy outlined above delineates when
women members may serve on board Navy ships and
aircraft and with Marine Corps units, but does not
mandate assignment of women members to any
particular ship, aircraft, or Marine Corps unit. The
Chief of Naval Operations and the Commandant of
the Marine Corps will develop specific plans and
policy directives for assignment of women members.
These policies will ensure that women members of
the Navy and Marine Corps are assigned and used to
the greatest benefit of the service. They will also
ensure that assignments provide women with
rewarding careers commensurate with that of their
male counterparts.
SECNAVINST 1300.12, Title 10, U.S. Code,
Section 6015, and Military Personnel Manual
(MILPERSMAN), article 1820100, have more
information about women’s mission in the Navy.
SUBSPECIALTIES
The Navy places considerable emphasis on an
officer’s developing a subspecialty in addition to a
primary area of naval warfare. A subspecialty is a
secondary area of expertise coded to show levels of
education or experience.
If you desire a certain code status, you can enroll
in further study under a Navy-sponsored program or
an off-duty program.
NAVPERS 15839, volume 1, broadly defines
subspecialty areas available to all unrestricted,
restricted, and staff corps officers.
SPECIALTY AND SUBSPECIALTY
CONCEPT
The area of specialization (specialty) required in a
particular job (billet) is identified by a unique
designator code. Certain billets requiring additional
qualifications beyond those indicated by a designator
code are further identified by subspecialty codes.
Subspecialty codes define the field of application and
additional education, experience, and training
qualifications needed to satisfy special requirements
that meet specific criteria of the subspecialty
validation process. Subspecialties, which are
applicable to the URL, RL, and staff corps, are
professional development fields secondary to
specialties.
SUBSPECIALTY CODE DESCRIPTION
A subspecialty code is made up of five characters
consisting of four numerals and an alphabetic suffix.
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The following are several examples. (Table 1-1
provides a detailed description of subspecialty codes.)
OBTAINING A SUBSPECIALTY
Officers interested in developing a subspecialty
based upon postgraduate (PG) education should
indicate a preference for such graduate work
(including curriculum) on their officer preference
card before they complete their first tour. That will
permit a significant number of PG-selected officers to
pursue graduate studies during second or subsequent
tours of duty. The Navy needs officers with graduate
degrees in technical areas. Therefore, the majority of
PG quotas set are for study in technical curricula.
Officers who miss going to postgraduate school
during their first shore tour have additional
opportunities for selection and attendance during their
second and subsequent shore tours.
Of primary importance to new unrestricted line
officers is the attainment of the basic skills and
qualifications associated with their warfare specialty.
Unrestricted line officers should strive to gain the
necessary warfare qualifications leading to command.
Your sustained superior performance in your
present assignment is the most important factor in
determining your future assignments and promotion
opportunities. Therefore, whatever your job and
whether or not you consider it important, always
strive to do your best.
A few ideas follow that may enhance your
chances for PG school:
• Basic qualification in your community
(URL/RL/Staff Corps) is the ticket to your future
success.
• Progress appropriate to your rank is
essential in your URL/RL/Staff Corps community.
Without that progress, you won’t get promoted unless
you are very unusual and have some skill the Navy
can’t find elsewhere.
• Being joint qualified is better than not being
joint qualified. Sure, waivers are possible, but they
are “waivers” and should be considered as such.
Remember–worry about a waiver after you are a
recognized professional in the URL/RL/Staff Corps,
not before.
• Having a proven subspecialty is a real plus
for you and the Navy, particularly if you are a URL
 Table 1-1.–Description of Subspecialty Codes

First Subset Second Subset Suffix

(1st and 2nd characters) (3rd and 4th characters) (5th character)

(1) <MU%-2>Unrestricted Line

Requirements

(a) The Functional Field
subspecialty codes, 20XX through
90XX, may be applied to URL
officers and billets in the grade of
LCDR to CAPT to indicate
background experience in one of
the functional fields. These codes
are assigned to officers as a result
of subspecialty selection board
action.
(b) URL subspecialty billet
requirements below the grade of
LCDR will be expressed by “00”
entered in the first subset; that is,
00XX.
(c) Codes XX10 through XX9X
are used to express the broad or
discrete Education/Skill fields as
they are acquired by officers or
required in billets. (See footnotes
on Education/Skill field codes.)
(d) The alphabetic suffix states
the level of the education/skill
pertaining to the field stated in the
second subset.
(e) The Proven Subspecialist
codes “C” (Doctorate), “M” (Post
Master’s), “Q” (Master’s), “F”
(Functional Education), and “R”
(Significant Experience) may be
used to identify URL officers and
requirements in the LCDR to
CAPT grades. A proven
subspecialty code must always be
accompanied by one of the
specific Functional Field codes in
the first subset.

(2) Restricted Line/Staff Corps

Requirements

(a) The first subset will be coded
00XX except for those
subspecialty fields considered
unique to the Staff Corps, as
listed below.
(b) Codes 0010 through 009X
are used to express the broad or
discrete Education/Skill fields.
(c) The alphabetic suffix states
the level of education/skill
pertaining to the unique Staff
Corps subspecialty. The “Proven
Subspecialist” codes do not apply.

(3) Unique Staff Corps

Requirements

(a) The first subset of these (b) Describes the education/skill (c) The alphabetic suffix states
subspecialty codes denotes a field within each of the unique the level of education/skill
unique Staff Corps field as Staff Corps subspecialties; must pertaining to the unique Staff
follows: always be expressed in Corps subspecialty. The “Proven
conjunction with the unique Staff subspecialist” codes do not apply.
11XX — CEC Corps field in the first subset.
12XX — JAG
13XX — Supply
14XX — Chaplain
15XX/16XX — Medical
17XX — Dental
18XX — Medical Service
19XX — Nurse

1-4
officer. Since having a subspecialty means you are an
“expert” in a particular field, it gives you an edge.
YOUR DUTY PREFERENCES
The needs of the Navy come first in deciding your
duty assignments, but the Navy does consider your
personal preferences. Therefore, you must submit an
Officer Preference and Personal Information Card
(NAVPERS 1301/1) to keep your detailer informed of
your duty preferences. You must submit a new card
when your preferences or personal information
changes. For example, you may change your mind
about attending postgraduate school or the next duty
station you prefer. You may also experience changes
in your personal life, such as your current residence,
the members of your household, or your marital or
dependency status. Do not submit a card reading “No
Change.”
Make realistic choices of duty and duty stations
on your preference card. Each year the Bureau of
Naval Personnel (BUPERS) issues the Biennial
Officer Billet Summary (Junior Officer Edition),
NAVPERS 15994. This summary provides officers
with a ready reference of billets relative to geographic
location, required designator and rank, subspecialty,
and primary duties. All ships and stations receive this
publication. Consult the Biennial Officer Billet
Summary (Junior Officer Edition) before you fill out
your preference card.
Your detailer works on your transfer several
months before you actually receive your orders.
Using your preference card, and again, based on the
Navy’s needs, your detailer attempts to locate an
assignment commensurate with your preference and
one that will “round out” your experience for
promotion. Your detailer’s recommendation goes to
the placement desk with your name and qualification.
If the placement desk accepts you, it notifies the order
writing section. If the placement desk does not accept
you, your detailer will start the process again.
We cannot overemphasize the importance of
having a current Officer Preference and Personal
Information Card in your record. Unless you are in
frequent contact with your detailer, this card is usually
the only way your detailer knows your personal
preferences, particularly if you desire postgraduate
school. To further help you in selecting future
assignments, the Chief of Naval Operations has made
the services of BUPERS detailers available by
telephone. To avoid the cost of commercial calls, you
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may use your command’s Defense Switching
Network system (DSN). If DSN capabilities are not
available, you may call your detailer collect.
HOW FAST WILL YOU BE
PROMOTED?
According to current promotional policies, the
promotion cycle for most officers will approximate
the cumulative commissioned time (flow points)
normally expected for promotions, as listed below.
Selection boards for promotion review particular year
groups based on the projected needs of the Navy to fill
billets. Previous manning decisions affect promotion
opportunities many years after they are made. These
flow points may also vary from one community to
another.
The minimum time-in-grade requirements are
shown as follows:
ENS to LTJG. . . . . . . . . . . 24 months
LTJG to LT . . . . . . . . . . . 48 months
LT to LCDR . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11 years
LCDR to CDR. . . . . . . . . . 15-17 years
CDR to CAPT . . . . . . . . . . 21-23 years
HOW MUCH WILL YOU BE PAID?
Your pay, of course, is a matter of vital interest to
you. Your regular military compensation consists of
the four elements of pay received by all service
personnel: basic pay, basic allowance for quarters,
basic allowance for subsistence, and the tax advantage
generated by these tax-free allowances. Additionally,
you might qualify for special pay, incentive pay, and a
variable housing allowance (VHA).
Part of your total compensation package is your
fringe benefits. You should assess the value of these
benefits on a personal basis. These benefits include,
but are not limited to, the following:
• Retirement
• Medical/dental care
• Commissary/exchange facilities
• Recreation/club facilities
• Survivor benefits
• Leave
 All of these benefits together could cost you
several thousand dollars annually, depending upon
your location, family relationships, and position in the
civilian community. You will receive an annual
personal statement of military compensation to assist
you in your financial planning.
For the specific monthly pay for your rank or
grade, see your local Navy recruiter.
FLIGHT AND SUBMARINE TRAINING
Article 6610360 of the Naval Military Personnel
Manual (MILPERSMAN) outlines the necessary
qualifications and requirements for officers interested
in flight training.
Article 6610320 of the MILPERSMAN sets forth
the necessary qualifications and requirements for
officers interested in submarine training.
TRANSFER TO THE REGULAR NAVY
Navy Reserve officers and Regular Navy
temporary officers may transfer to the Regular Navy.
The primary objective of this program is to meet
deficiencies in the numbers of Regular Navy officers
1-6
in the various staff corps and line communities.
Regular permanent appointments are made to the
active-duty list of the Navy in both the line and staff
corps as appropriate.
The Secretary of the Navy convenes a selection
board twice a year, normally in April and October, to
consider the records of those officers applying for
transfer to the Regular Navy. As with other
competitive selections in your career, performance is
critical to selection. Refer to MILPERSMAN, article
1020120, for details on application, processing, and
appointment procedures.
If you request transfer to the Regular Navy in
conjunction with a request for a lateral transfer
between restricted line, unrestricted line, and staff,
follow the procedures in MILPERSMAN, article
1020120. Refer to MILPERSMAN, article 1020150, to
request lateral transfer without augmentation.
Reserve officers are eligible for permanent
appointment in the Regular Navy after they have
completed 3 years on active duty (while serving under
a 4-year obligation). Those who serve under a 2-year
agreement are eligible to transfer to the Regular Navy
after 1 year of active commissioned service.
 CHAPTER 2
YOUR ORDERS TO DUTY
Sometime before graduation you should receive
orders to your first tour of duty. Orders come from
the Chief of Naval Personnel (CHNAVPERS). You
will receive an original set of your orders and many
copies. (Save these copies; you will need them
when executing your orders.) Study your orders
carefully to be sure of their exact meaning. In
addition to the orders, you should receive some
other explanatory material from your local
personnel office, such as travel instructions and
immunization requirements.
DETACHMENT
Your orders will be endorsed, showing the date
of their delivery to you and the date and time of
your detachment. When “detached,” you are on
your own until the date you must report to your next
station. Therefore, before you detach, make sure
you know WHERE you are going, WHEN you must
report, and HOW you plan to get there. Also be sure
you have in your possession your service record,
health record, orders, and personal finance record.
Before you leave your old command, make sure
you fill out a Notice of Change of Address card
(OPNAV 5110/5) to keep both your old and new
station advised of your address.
Guard your orders and records. Do not put
them in your luggage; carry them with you. You will
need the original of your orders to obtain
transportation, travel advances, and all travel claims.
When you report to your new ship or station, your
orders will be endorsed and placed in your service
record. When you detach, ensure these endorsed
orders are put in your personal file. You may need to
refer to a set of orders years later.
If for some reason (accident, sickness,
emergency) you become stranded during your travel,
you must inform your new commanding officer. The
nearest armed forces activity, including recruiting
2-1
offices and Reserve units, can help you by endorsing
your orders or communicating with your new command
or both. Refer to a telephone directory listing under
“U.S. Government” for the number of the nearest
military activity in your area.
MILITARY PERSONNEL
IDENTIFICATION NUMBER AND
DESIGNATOR
The Navy uses Social Security numbers (SSNs)
and designators to identify officer personnel. The
SSN has nine digits. The designator has four digits.
These identifying numbers will appear in the
remarks section of your orders. For example:
123-45-6789/1100.
Once assigned, your Social Security number
will not change. Your designator may change as
your qualifications change. The first three digits
of your designator identify the general category
within which you perform, and the fourth digit
indicates your official status. For example, a
designator of 1100 identifies a line officer of the
Regular Navy whose permanent grade is ensign or
above, while a designator of 1105 identifies a line
officer of the Naval Reserve. The Register of
Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the Navy,
NAVPERS 15018, contains a complete breakdown of
all designators.
A TYPICAL SET OF ORDERS
The following example orders, issued by the
Chief of Naval Personnel (CHNAVPERS), are shown
in the typical capitalized format. (Appendix II lists
various terms, phrases, and abbreviations used in
transfer orders.)
 UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
U UNCLASSIFIED U
UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

RITUZYUW RUEACHP8829 0871523-UUUU-RUCLFMA

ZWR UUUUU
R 200528Z MAR 92 ZYB
FM CHNAVPERS WASHINGTON DC//PERS433//
TO RUCLFMA/PERSUPPDET NAS MEMPHIS TN //JJJ//
ROVRBMA/NROTCU VANDERBILT UNIV NASHVILLE TN//JJJ//
RHFJPOK/NAVAVSCOLSCOM PENSACOLA FL//JJJ//
RHFJPOS/PERSUPPDET PENSACOLA FL //JJJ//
BT
UNCLAS //N01321// SECTION 01 OF 02
MSGID/GEHADMIN/CHNAVPERS//
SUBJ/BUPERS ORDER//
RMKS//
BUPERS ORDER: 0862 123-45-6789/1395 (PERS-433)
OFFICIAL NEW APPOINTMENT ORDERS FOR
ENS VERY C. PISTOL, USNR
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
IN CARRYING OUT/PROCESSING THESE ORDERS, BOTH PARTS ONE AND
TWO MUST BE READ AND LISTED INSTRUCTIONS COMPLIED WITH
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
PART ONE
HOME ADDRESS: 123 MAIN ST., ANYWHERE, U.S.A. 00000
PAGE 02 RUEACNP8829 UNCLAS
UPON ACCEPTANCE APPOINTMENT ORDERED TO ACTIVE NAVAL SERVICE IN TIME TO
COMMENCE TRAVEL, IF REQUIRED, IN MAY 1992 AND IN TIME TO REPORT AS DIRECTED
BELOW:
———— INTERMEDIATE (01) ACTIVITY (M) ————
REPORT IN MAY 92 EDA: 08 MAY 92
TO NROTC VANDERBILT UNIV TENN UIC: 63315
LOCATION: NASHVILLE, TN
FOR TEMPORARY DUTY IN A FLYING STATUS INVOLVING ACC: 350
FLYING
FOR APPROXIMATELY 006 DAY(S)
PERSONNEL ACCOUNTING SUPPORT: PERSUPPDET NAS MEMPHIS
UIC: 43322
UPON COMPLETION OF TEMPORARY DUTY IN A FLYING STATUS INVOLVING
FLYING
AND WHEN DIRECTED, DETACH EDD: 13 MAY 92
—— ULTIMATE ACTIVITY (M) ——
REPORT NOT LATER THAN 01 JUN 92 EDA: 01 JUN 92
TO STU NAV AV SCHS COM UIC: 30500
PERMANENT DUTY STATION PENSACOLA, FL
FOR DUTY UNDER INSTRUCTION IN A FLYING STATUS ACC: 342

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
U UNCLASSIFIED U
UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

2-2
 UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
U UNCLASSIFIED U
UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

PAGE 03 RUEACNP8829 UNCLAS

INVOLVING FLYING BSC: 00300
PRD: 9406
PERSONNEL ACCOUNTING SUPPORT: PERSUPPDET PENSACOLA
UIC: 43081
TO INCLUDE DAY(S) AT
CLASS: CONV: GRAD: CDP:
——— ACCOUNTING DATA ———-

7759/087 1 M2 0288 087/16151Z

MAC CIC: 3N2E24081352320

CIC: AE2E267M
PCS ACCOUNTING DATA:
N2E2 1721453 2250 R 000022 AE 2E2/6/7/M 2E2408135232
PART TWO
BUPERS ORDER: 0862 123-45-6789/1395 (Pers-433)
OFFICIAL NEW APPOINTMENT ORDERS FOR
ENS VERY C. PISTOL, USNR
COMMAND DELIVERING ORDERS AND ULTIMATE COMMAND: DIRECTED TO COMPLY WITH
MILPERSMAN 1810560 AND OPNAVINST 1740.3 REGARDING THE NAVY SPONSOR PROGRAM.
MEMBER ADVISED: INFORMATION ON ULTIMATE DUTY STATION CAN BE OBTAINED FROM
YOUR LOCAL FAMILY SERVICE CENTER.
PAGE 04 RUEACNP8829 UNCLAS
MEMBER ADVISED: UPON RECEIPT OF ORDERS CONTACT THE NEAREST
PERSONAL PROPERTY TRANSPORTATION OFFICE (PPTO) TO RECEIVE COUNSELING
FOR SHIPMENT OF YOUR PERSONAL PROPERTY. UPON ARRIVAL AT YOUR PERMANENT DUTY
STATION CONTACT THE PPTO IMMEDIATELY TO PROVIDE THEM WITH A TELEPHONE NUMBER
WHERE YOU CAN BE CONTACTED.
TRANSFERRING COMMAND: IF THIS IS A MODIFICATION, PORT CALL
CANCELLATION/MODIFICATION MAY BE REQUIRED. IF SO, IMMEDIATELY CONTACT
SERVICING NAVY PASSENGER TRANSPORTATION OFFICE (SEE
NAVMILPERSCOMINST 4650.2 SERIES).
————— INTERMEDIATE (01) ACTIVITY (M) ————
- NO ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR THIS SECTION -
———- ULTIMATE ACTIVITY (M) ———
UPON REPORTING AT INITIAL DUTY STATION REPORT FOR PHYSICAL EXAMINATION. IF
FOUND NOT PHYSICALLY QUALIFIED EXAMINING MEDICAL OFFICER ADVISE CHNAVPERS BY
MESSAGE, STATING DEFECTS IN DETAIL WITH RECOMMENDATIONS.
YOU ARE DIRECTED TO REPORT TO THE APPROPRIATE HOUSING REFERRAL OFFICE PRIOR TO
NEGOTIATING ANY AGREEMENT FOR OFF-BASE HOUSING.
(OPNAVINST 11101.13 AND OPNAVINST 11101.21 SERIES)
THESE ORDERS CONSTITUTE ASSIGNMENT TO DUTY IN A PART OF AERONAUTIC
PAGE 05 RUEACNP8829 UNCLAS

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
U UNCLASSIFIED U
UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

2-3
 UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
U UNCLASSIFIED U
UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

ORGANIZATION OF NAVY. DETAILED TO DUTY INVOLVING FLYING EFFECTIVE SUCH DATE AS

ENDORSED HEREON.
DESIGNATED STUDENT NAVAL AVIATOR.
DESIGNATOR CHANGED TO 1315 EFFECTIVE UPON BEING DESIGNATED NAVAL AVIATOR.
SHIPMENT AUTHORIZATION OPTION HOR NASHVILLE, TN.
REPORT NOT LATER THAN 0730 20 NOV 92.
PROVIDED NO EXCESS LEAVE INVOLVED, MEMBER IS AUTHORIZED TO
DELAY 15 DAYS IN REPORTING TO COUNT
AS LEAVE (MILPERSMAN 1810360). KEEP OLD AND NEW DUTY STATION
ADVISED LEAVE ADDRESS. FOR CIRCUITOUS TRAVEL AND LEAVE VISITS TO FOREIGN
COUNTRIES SEE NAVMILPERSCOMINST 4650.2 SERIES, CHAPTER VII,
(SECTIONS A AND E) ALSO SEE MILPERSMAN 3020520.
REPORT TO LT DOOR, NASC STUDENT POOL OFFICER, BLDG 633,
FOR TEMDU AWAITING FLIGHT TRAINING. PH: (904) 000-0000.
YOU ARE OBLIGATED TO SERVE SEVEN YEARS FOR PROPELLER-ROTARY
7759/087 2 M2 0288 087/16151Z
AIRCRAFT OR EIGHT YEARS FOR JET AIRCRAFT, FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF
TRAINING DATE WITHIN THE NAVAL AIR TRAINING COMMAND (REFER MILPERSMAN 6610360).
FOR A LIST OF LOCATIONS OF NAVY TEMPORARY LODGES AND TYPES OF
PAGE 06 RUEACNP8829 UNCLAS
FACILITIES AVAILABLE TO YOU IN THE AREA OF YOUR NEW DUTY STATION FOR
USE UNTIL PERMANENT HOUSING CAN BE OBTAINED. SEE SECNAVINST 11107.2
SERIES. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CALL THE NAVY LODGE RESERVATIONS
CENTER’S TOLL FREE NUMBER (1-800-NAVY-INN).
————————— SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS ——————
COMPLETE APPLICABLE ITEMS ON BOTH SIDES OF TRAVEL INFORMATION FORM
(NAVPERS 7041/1) AND SUBMIT TO DIRECTOR, NAVY FAMILY ALLOWANCE
ACTIVITY, (PCSVAD), CLEVELAND, OHIO 44199
FOR PURPOSES OF COMPUTING ACTIVE DUTY BASE DATE, DATE ACTIVE DUTY
PAY COMMENCES, AND ACTIVITY DUTY SERVICE FOR RETIREMENT PURPOSES. YOU
ARE CONSIDERED TO BE IN AN INACTIVE DUTY STATUS UNTIL TIME REQUIRED
FOR TRAVEL IN EXECUTION OF ORDERS.
<%-2>TRAVEL VIA PRIVATE CONVEYANCE IS PERMITTED AT YOUR OPTION FOR YOUR
CONVENIENCE.
A CERTIFIED COPY OF THESE ORDERS, WITH ALL ENDORSEMENTS, SHALL
BE FORWARDED TO COMMANDER, NAVAL RESERVE PERSONNEL CENTER, CODE 2D,
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70149.
EXPECTED DATE OF GRADUATION 920508
MEMBER IS ELIGIBLE FOR INTERIM SECRET ACCESS. CONTACT THE
CENTRAL ADJUDICATION FACILITY FOR FINAL CLEARANCE.
BT
#8829
HHHH

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
U UNCLASSIFIED U
UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

2-4
 NAVY SPONSOR PROGRAM
Upon receiving your orders, contact your
personnel office to ensure it has the necessary details
about your move and personal status while you are
en route to your new duty station.
Under the Navy Sponsor Program, your personnel
office should forward information on your mode of
travel, expected date of arrival, family status, and
other details to the personnel office at your new
command. Your new command will communicate
with you. If you desire, your new command will
assign you a sponsor. The sponsor will do everything
possible to make your transfer easier.
EXECUTING YOUR ORDERS
When executing your orders, you may encounter
circumstances that require your interpretation.
Because of the space required to cover all exceptions,
we will cover only the basic details of proceed, travel,
and leave time. If you do not understand any aspects
of your orders, check with your personnel office for
immediate clarification; otherwise, you may
unknowingly lead yourself astray.
PROCEED TIME
“Proceed time” is a period of time not chargeable
as leave, delay, or allowed travel time. Proceed time
is granted for the purpose of helping you make the
required personal arrangements inherent in certain
permanent change of station (PCS) orders. The
amount of proceed time permitted depends upon the
urgency of the transfer, but will not exceed 4 days.
The word proceed is synonymous with the phrase
commence travel status and should not be construed
as entitlement to proceed time.
Proceed time is authorized only when members
are executing PCS orders to or from the specific types
of commands outlined in article 1810300 of the
MILPERSMAN. Refer to table 2-1 for additional
information about proceed time.
TRAVEL TIME
If your orders require travel, they will specify the
number of days authorized for travel. Travel time is
allowed in addition to proceed or delay time. Travel
time is computed in whole days on the basis of travel
over a usually traveled route by a facility offering
through service. Travel time for travel within the 48
contiguous United States and the District of Columbia
2-5
is computed based on the figures presented in
table 2-1. Finding the correct distances may present a
problem. We suggest you check the official mileage
tables at your personnel office or transportation
office. You cannot accumulate either proceed time or
travel time for later use.
LEAVE
Any delay authorized in permanent change of
station orders in excess of allowed proceed time
and/or travel time is chargeable as leave. Leave,
proceed time, and travel time are charged in that order
following your day of detachment. If you report to
your new duty station before your required reporting
date, you will only be charged leave for the number of
days between your detachment date and your
reporting date—less any authorized proceed and/or
travel time. This unused leave is credited to your
leave account. You earn leave at a rate of 2 1/2 days
per calendar month. You may use your leave at any
time, pending your commanding officer’s approval.
Assume you must report to your new command
not later than 18 August. Your orders authorize
4 days’ proceed time, 3 days’ travel, and 10 days’
leave. You detach from your old command on
1 August. The following examples show how
proceed time, travel time, and leave are charged:
1. You report on 18 August.
17 days between detachment date and report
date
10 days charged to leave
4 days charged to proceed time
3 days charged to travel time
2. You report on 15 August.
14 days between detachment date and report
date
7 days charged to leave
4 days charged to proceed time
3 days charged to travel time
3. You report on 7 August.
days between detachment date and report date
0 days charged to leave
3 days charged to proceed time
3 days charged to travel time
 Table 2-1.—Travel, Proceed, and Leave Time
OFFICERS TRAVEL TIME
All Time computed on distances is
determined from official
mileage tables; otherwise,
time computation is based on
shortest travel route shown in
commercial carrier or
automobiles guides. Time is
counted in whole days, 24
hours; that is, the whole 24
hours or nothing.
Naval Academy Same as for officer
Graduates* indoctrination school (OIS)
below. Orders to USNA
graduates usually specify a
definite date to report, thus
eliminating travel time.
Travel time allowable to first
duty station is computed on
the basis of the official
distance and the mode of
travel authorized.
Officer Air (government or commer-
indoctrination cial): One day for anywhere in
school, aviation continental United States.
officer candidate Time can be extended if delay
(AOC) school, is necessary because of mode
and officer of travel; personal conveni-
candidate school ence does not count. If travel
(OCS) is part by air and part by other
(Including means, time is computed by a
integrated combination of methods.
students) Travel time is computed on
the following standards:
Commercial air—
1 day for travel anywhere in
48 states. Divide official
distance by 500. Dividend
equals hours travel time (18
hours = 1 day). If any
remainder, add 1 more day
travel.
*Because of graduation leave, travel time of Annapolis graduates does not affect pay or leave accumulation; however, it does affect
the effective dates of orders, which can be of interest to those about to be married.
PROCEED TIME
A period of time (not
chargeable as leave,
delay, or allowed
travel time) granted for
the purpose of making
necessary personal
arrangements inherent
in certain permanent
change of station
orders.
Not entitled to proceed
time.
OIS and AOC are not
entitled to proceed
time to first permanent
duty station.
2-6
LEAVE
See MILPERSMAN, article
3020020 for complete
explanation of the various
types of leave: annual, earned
convalescent, advance, excess,
and so forth.
Graduates of USNA and
ROTC may be given up to 30
days graduation leave, which
must be taken after graduation
in connection with first orders
as an officer and must be
completed within 3 months of
date of graduation. Such leave
cannot be saved and used
later. Present Navy practice is
to allow some delay to count
as graduation leave. That
varies according to individual
circumstances.
Any leave earned in enlisted
status will be carried over to
commissioned status. Hence,
any leave granted for delay
en route will be charged as
annual leave.
An officer reporting earlier
than required will save the
leave for a later date. Present
practice is to authorize 10 days
delay charged as annual leave.
 Table 2-1.—Travel, Proceed, and Leave Time—Continued

OFFICERS TRAVEL TIME PROCEED TIME LEAVE

Officer Surface common carrier (bus, OIS and AOC are not Any leave earned in enlisted
indoctrination rail, etc.)— entitled to proceed status will be carried over to
school, aviation Divide official distance by 40. time to first permanent commissioned status. Hence,
officer candidate Dividend equals hours in duty station. any leave granted for delay
(AOC) school, travel time (18 hours = 1 day). en route will be charged as
and officer If any remainder, add 1 more annual leave.
candidate school day travel.
(OCS) An officer reporting earlier
(Including (Note: If commercial air and than required will save the
integrated surface common carrier are leave for a later date. Present
students) used, add hours before practice is to authorize 10 days
dividing by 18 hours.) delay charged as annual leave.

Privately owned conveyance

(POC)—
1 day/350 miles and 1
day/each fraction of 350 miles
(more than 175 miles).

NROTC Air (government or Not entitled to proceed Any delay is charged to

Regulars and commercial); 1 day anywhere time advanced leave and deducted
Reserves in continental United States. from leave earned during the
POC: 1 day/350 miles and 1 coming year. For USNR
day/fraction of 350 miles officers, leave, pay, and
(more than 175 miles). allowances will be computed
Commercial surface same as based on the officer’s
for OIS. NROTC graduates reporting date, specified in
appointed to USNR and not orders, adjusted for required
immediately ordered to duty; travel time. Early reporting
that is, after acceptance of does not provide advantage for
appointment, return home and pay or leave purposes.
remain there for several
days/weeks before
commencing travel to first
duty station; travel time via
POC is computed at the rate of
350 miles/day with an
additional day allowed for
each fraction of 350 miles
(more than 175 miles).

2-7
 Table 2-1.—Travel, Proceed, and Leave Time—Continued

OFFICERS TRAVEL TIME PROCEED TIME LEAVE

USN Officers Air (government or commer- Not entitled to proceed Any delay is charged to
appointed from cial): 1 day anywhere in time advance leave and is deducted
civil life continental United States. from leave earned during the
POC: 1 day/350 miles and 1 coming year.
day/each fraction of 350 miles
(more than 175 miles). Com-
mercial surface time same as
for OIS.

Staff Corps Same as for OIS Not entitled to proceed Normally, no standard number
Officers time to first permanent of days leave allowed:
graduating from duty station however, 5 days’ leave is
OIS generally indicated in the
majority of cases, dependent
both on amount of leave
accrued and the degree of need
for the officer at the new duty
station.

In summary, if you report to your next command
within the maximum time allowed, you will save the
corresponding number of days of leave. Leave may
be accumulated and carried forward to the next fiscal
year up to a maximum of 60 days. In special
circumstances 90 days’ special leave accrual may be
authorized for deployable units if deployed more than
120 consecutive days.
NROTC RESERVE AND RESERVE
OFFICERS REPORTING FROM
CIVILIAN LIFE
If you are an NROTC graduate who did not
immediately report to active duty upon graduation or
a Reserve officer appointed from civil life to your first
duty, your orders will tell you to report to a certain
command on a certain date. Since you are in a nonpay
status when you receive your orders, you will not be
authorized leave or proceed time. If you arrive a few
days late, you simply are not paid for those days.
(You may be disciplined if the delay is not excused.)
When you report, you are placed in a pay status and
are entitled to receive pay for travel from your home
of record to your duty station.
FIGURING THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF
YOUR ORDERS
The effective date of your orders is important if
your dependents are moving with you to your first
duty station. The dependency must exist on or before
the effective date of your orders; otherwise, the
government will not pay dependent transportation
expenses. (The next section deals with the details of
reimbursement.)
The effective date of your orders is the date you
must begin travel by the mode of transportation
authorized and/or used to report to your new duty
station by the time stated on the orders from your last
permanent station or your last temporary duty station
(if any) named in your orders.
Assume you receive orders that require travel
within the continental United States. You must report
to your new duty station not later than 2 February.
You are authorized 16 days’ leave and the applicable
amount of travel time. The official highway distance
to your duty station is 530 miles. Therefore, you are
authorized 2 days’ travel time by privately owned
conveyance (POC) or 1 day’s travel by commercial

2-8
air. The following examples show how to determine PAY FOR YOUR TRAVEL
the effective date of your orders:
On a permanent change of station involving travel
1. Travel by POC.
within the continental United States, the Navy will
2 Feb Date you report reimburse you in one of the following two ways:
31 Jan Less 2 days’ travel time • If you furnish or choose your own method of
1 Feb Add 1 day (You add 1 day transportation by POC, you will receive a mileage
because allowance for the number of travel days authorized or
you count the day you report.) used, whichever is less, to cover your entire travel
expense. The mileage and per diem allowances vary
The effective date of your orders is 1 February.
by your number of dependents and travel
arrangements.
2. Travel by commercial air.
1 Feb Date you report • If the Navy furnishes your transportation, you
will receive a per diem allowance for the day of
31 Jan Less 1 day’s travel time
departure and/or the day of arrival at your permanent
1 Feb Add 1 day station if you are in a travel status and government
quarters are not available. Under the per diem
The effective date of your orders is 1 February. system, certain miscellaneous expenses, such as taxi
fares and baggage handling tips, are reimbursable.
3. Travel by POC. You must have receipts for lodging. Receipts for
29 Jan Date you report transportation procured for fares over $25 are also
required.
27 Jan Less 2 days’ travel time
If you receive orders to a naval station, facility, or
28 Jan Add 1 day
a ship overseas, your port of call assignments,
The effective date of your orders is 28 January. reservations, and flights will normally be arranged by
the school from which you receive your commission.
The number of days’ leave authorized has no
You may furnish or choose your own method of
effect on the effective date of orders. You must report
transportation to the port of embarkation. The
on or before, but not later than (NLT), the effective
Military Airlift Command (MAC) will provide air
reporting date specified in your orders. However, if
transportation from your embarkation point.
you report early, the effective reporting date will be
changed to the date you report. When you receive your orders, study them
carefully to plot your various stops along the way.
Then discuss your proposed trip with your disbursing
officer or transportation officer. Usually a trip can be
TRAVEL EXPENSES
made more than one way, and sometimes a different
This section will introduce you to some of the route may mean a difference in cost to you. You may
travel rules most applicable to new Naval Academy, want to obtain a transportation request (TR) and per
NROTC, OIS, AOCS, and OCS graduates. What is diem; or you may find the mileage allowance,
said here does not apply to everyone in the Navy and, advanced or reimbursed, more suitable.
in many cases, was modified to fit your special case.
We also assume that you will receive the normal
or standard orders; that is, orders to duty aboard a ship DIRECT ROUTES NOT REQUIRED
at sea, which means a permanent change of station. If
you are an exception who receives orders to Do not infer from this discussion that you must
temporary duty or temporary additional duty, contact follow a set route when traveling from one place to
your disbursing office or transportation officer for the another. You may take a circuitous route, stop over, or
correct up-to-date interpretation of the Joint Federal double back. Unless directed to travel by a specific
Travel Regulations (JFTR), volume I. Do not listen to mode or transportation, you can drive, fly, or ride a
any “would be” expert. train or bus. But the Navy will limit reimbursement to

2-9
the costs by the most direct, usually traveled route
from your old station to your new station.
For their own transportation, Academy graduates
have a special entitlement for the distance actually
traveled under such orders. This distance is not to
exceed the official distance from their homes or from
Annapolis, as may be designated in their orders, to
their first duty station (temporary or permanent).
If you contemplate leaving the continental United
States (CONUS), consult BUPERSINST 1050.11
entry requirements and specific travel information on
foreign countries. This instruction also lists countries
that require specific entry approval of the Chief of
Naval Personnel. Officers planning to travel with
dependents should be aware that the requirements for
civilians are not necessarily the same as those
prescribed for military personnel.
PAY FOR TRAVEL OF DEPENDENTS
If you have dependents, be sure to see the
disbursing officer or transportation officer before
making travel plans.
When moving dependents, Academy graduates
have certain entitlements in addition to those given to
other newly commissioned officers. These
entitlements are briefly explained in the following
paragraphs and in table 2-2.
• You are entitled to advance travel pay for your
dependents and yourself. To get this advance, you
must provide your disbursing office a copy of page 2
(Record of Emergency Data) of your service record.
If the Navy furnishes transportation, your dependents
will normally be given either government
transportation or a transportation request. You can get
a dislocation allowance (DLA) on your first move
ONLY if you have prior enlisted service. The purpose
of a dislocation allowance is to partially reimburse a
member, with or without dependents, for expenses
incurred in the relocation of a household. This
allowance is provided upon a permanent change of
station or incident to an evacuation. DLA is paid in
addition to all other authorized allowances.
• Travel performed in advance of receipt of
orders or official notification that orders are
forthcoming will not be paid for. Suppose you hear
that you are going to be sent to Norfolk. Your family
rushes on ahead of you to find a good place to live.
Sometime later you actually receive the orders
2-10
sending you to Norfolk. Your way will be paid, but no
reimbursement will be made for the travel your
family has already performed. Had you too gone
ahead without waiting for orders, your travel would
not be paid either.
• Only the official distance traveled between any
two authorized points will count for transportation in
kind or for reimbursement.
• If you are a graduate of officer training
programs other than the Academy, your dependents
are authorized to travel from your old station (or in
certain cases from your home) to your new station.
• If you are an Academy graduate, when
commissioned and ordered to active duty, you are
entitled to transportation of your dependents at
government expense. The government will pay for
travel performed by your dependents incident to such
orders. However, travel is not to exceed entitlement
from the farther point, home of record, or service
academy to your permanent station. Travel is not to
exceed this entitlement irrespective of the point
designated in your orders (service academy or home
of record) from which your travel is directed to be
performed. When dependents are acquired
subsequent to the date of your departure (detachment)
from a service academy incident to active-duty orders
but on or before the effective date of your orders, you
will be entitled to transportation of your dependents at
government expense. The government will pay for
travel performed by your dependents to your new
duty station from one of the following locations:
1. Your home of record.
2. The service academy.
3. The place where your dependents are
acquired, not to exceed entitlement from the farther
point, home of record, or service academy to your
new permanent station. However, in the event your
dependents’ travel from the place acquired to the
home of record or service academy before the
effective date of active-duty orders, the place named
in subparagraphs 1 or 2 above, as appropriate, will
apply. Such entitlement is without regard to whether
temporary duty is directed or performed en route.
• Monetary allowances in lieu of transportation
in kind may be substituted for dependent travel. This
allowance is paid either as an advance or upon
submission of a claim after completion of the actual
travel, provided (1) dependent travel began after your
 Table 2-1.—Travel, Proceed, and Leave Time—Continued
Naval Academy
Personal May receive reimbursement
Expenses: a either from Annapolis or
predetermined rate from home to duty station.
per mile or That is, an academy
transportation graduate who lives in San
request(s) plus a Francisco and who is
daily per diem rate ordered to New York can go
(at own expense) to San
Francisco and then at end of
leave go to New York at
government expense. This
privilege is given only to
Annapolis graduates on the
occasion of their first orders
to duty as ensigns, and then
only if so specified in
orders.
TRs, government Entitled to travel expenses
vehicle, and so for travel actually performed
forth, may be not exceeding the distance
substituted for from Annapolis or home
above without (irrespective of point
regard to the designated in orders) to first
number of duty station, and
dependents dependency must exist on or
before effective date of
orders.
NOTE: LACK OF SPACE
PREVENTS MORE THAN
A LIMITED TREATMENT
HERE. CONSULT JFTR
AND YOUR DISBURSING
OFFICER IN ALL CASES.
<%-1>Household May elect to ship from
Goods<%-3>: Annapolis to home or from
Entitled to ship- annapolis and/or home to
ment of 10,000 lb first permanent duty station.
household goods. That is a privilege permitted
Does not include only to Academy graduates
automobiles, and only upon the occasion
baggage carried of their first orders to a
free on tickets, permanent station as
liquors, or articles ensigns.
for sale.
OIS NROTC graduates (Reserves
AOCS and Regulars) and officers
OCS appointed from civil life
Entitled to travel NROTC graduates appointed
expenses from place USN officers are entitled to
stated in orders to first travel expenses from place
permanent duty station; stated in orders (usually
that is, an OIS graduate NROTC unit where
ordered from Newport to appointed) to first permanent
New York will be duty station.
entitled to claim only
expenses from Newport NROTC graduates appointed
to New York—any other USNR officers and officers
travel will be at own appointed from civil life are
expense. entitled to travel expenses
from place stated in orders
(usually home) to first
permanent duty station.
Entitled to travel Entitled to travel expenses
expenses for travel for travel actually performed
actually performed not not exceeding distance from
exceeding the distance place addressed in orders to
from home address in place of first permanent
orders to place of first duty. Dependency must
permanent duty. exist on or before effective
Dependency must exist date of orders.
on or before effective
date of orders.
If marriage takes place after detachment but before the
effective date of orders, entitlement will be from the
place where the dependent is acquired (place of
marriage) to the new duty station, not to exceed the
distance from the old to the new duty station.
From last permanent From last permanent duty
duty station or from station or from home to new
home to new duty duty station.
station.
2-11
receipt of orders, and (2) you have reported to your
new duty station and your orders are endorsed
accordingly. If your orders are modified or canceled
after the commencement of travel by your
dependents, consult your disbursing officer. When
dependents travel on TRs or by government vehicle,
certain miscellaneous expenses are reimbursable,
such as taxi fares and tips for baggage handling at
terminals. Mileage rates for dependents vary.
• The dependency must exist on the effective
date of the orders directing permanent change of
station. That is an important point to remember for
those ensigns who plan to be married while on leave
after graduation.
• An officer ordered to unusually arduous sea
duty is entitled to transportation of dependents from
the last permanent duty station to any designated
place in CONUS or a location outside CONUS. (See
SECNAVINST 4650.19 for a listing and an
explanation of unusually arduous sea duty.)
Transportation of dependents in such cases is
authorized by CHNAVPERS (PERS-332) acting for
the Secretary of the Navy.
MISCELLANEOUS TRAVEL
INFORMATION
Listed below are some miscellaneous travel tips
that might be helpful to you:
• Commercial airlines sometimes offer
reduced-fare travel to military personnel. Although
each airline may have its own rules, the following
rules usually apply:
1. You may travel in civilian clothes.
2. You must show your identification card.
3. The airline may ask you to sign a statement
saying your travel is at personal expense.
• You should use reduced-fare travel only for
nonreimbursable travel. For example, use
reduced-fare travel for leave but not for permanent
change of station or temporary additional duty.
• The term privately owned conveyance (POC)
describes any means of transportation, such as
automobile, boat, or plane, that is not a government
vehicle or common carrier.
2-12
• You get the same number of travel days for
travel by either bus or train (commercial surface).
• You do not get travel time between points in
the same corporate limits. However, you get at least 1
day of travel for permanent change of station between
stations in different towns. For example, you get 1
day for travel between Baltimore and Washington,
D.C., by train, air, bus, or auto even though the trip
takes only an hour and the distance is only about 40
miles.
• You can find official highway distances in the
Official Table of Distances, NAVSO P-2471; or you
can get them from your transportation office.
• If you are near a naval air station or an Air
Force base, military air transportation might be
available on a space available, first-come-first-served
basis. You should call the flight operations office for
schedules. On Military Airlift Command (MAC)
flights, you might have to travel in the uniform of the
day. Also be prepared to provide a copy of your
orders or leave papers.
• Many booklets are available that have
information on military travel and accommodation.
One good booklet is the Military Travel Guide sold in
most military exchanges. (This guide is not a DOD
publication.)
• While performing reimbursable travel, you
should keep a travel voucher (DD-Form 1351-2) in a
running format to ease reconstruction at the time of
filing your travel claim. After you complete your
travel, you have 15 days to file the DD 1351-2 with
your local disbursing officer.
TEMPORARY LODGING
ALLOWANCE
Should you receive orders to an overseas
installation, you might be eligible for a temporary
lodging allowance (TLA). A temporary lodging
allowance partially reimburses a member at an
overseas duty station for above-average expenses
incurred during occupancy of temporary lodgings. It
also partially reimburses a member for meals obtained
as a direct result of the use of such lodgings lacking
the facilities for preparing meals. Ask your
disbursing officer for full details.
 OVERSEAS TRANSFER Below is a summary of the documents you need to
INFORMATION apply for advance travel and dislocation allowance:

The Overseas Transfer Information Service

(OTIS) is a telephone hotline that provides Navy
TYPE OF ADVANCE DOCUMENT
members and their families with a central source of
REQUIRED
information on nearly all overseas duty stations.
OTIS gives advice and information on such topics as Your travel a. Your original PCS
climate, location, passports, housing, educational 1. orders
services, shipment of automobiles, quarantine
requirements for pets, dental facilities, and spouse Your dependents’ a. Your original PCS
employment. The hotline number is defense switched 2. travel orders
network (DSN) 227-6621/6634, commercial (703)
697-6621/6634/6704, or toll free 1-800-327-8197. b. NAVPERS 1070/602
OTIS will accept collect calls within CONUS. (Record of
During nonworking hours, leave a message on the Emergency Data)
answering machine; you will receive a return call the
next working day. You can also write to OTIS at the Dislocation allowance a. Your original PCS
following address: 3. (DLA) orders

Bureau of Naval Personnel b. DD-1299

Department of the Navy (Pers-662D) (Application for
Shipment and/or
Washington, DC 20370-5000
Storage of Personal
Property)
TRAVEL ADVANCES

You are eligible to receive a travel advance up to
10 days before detaching from your permanent duty
station. Travel advances are computed based on the
authorized/anticipated mode of transportation and the
official distance between duty stations. If you receive
a travel advance and do not follow through with your
planned mode of travel, you might have to repay
amounts that were overadvanced because of your
change in travel modes.
Many newly commissioned officers report to their
first permanent duty station early. As a result they
have to pay back advance travel money because they
did not use all of the authorized travel time. For
instance, suppose you were allowed 13 days’ leave
and 5 days’ travel. You drew advance travel money
before detachment. After detachment you reported to
your new duty station 2 days later. You would have to
pay back 3 days’ travel money.

2-13
 CHAPTER 3
FIRST DUTY ADVICE
This chapter covers a wide range of topics
designed to help you on your first tour of duty. We
cannot anticipate all the problems a newly
commissioned officer might encounter, so we will
concentrate on the more common ones.
BEFORE REPORTING
Should you write to your new ship or station
before reporting? Yes, that shows an interest in your
first duty assignment. Write your letter of
introduction to the executive officer well in advance
of your reporting date. A standard business letter,
preferably typed, is appropriate. You can find the
correct format to use in preparing a business letter in
the Navy Correspondence Manual, SECNAVINST
5216.5. The letter should include your anticipated
reporting date and your address while on leave. If
married, you may include the name of your spouse,
number of children, and the date you expect to arrive
in the area. You may also want to mention any
qualifications you have that might influence your
shipboard assignments.
FINDING YOUR SHIP
Your orders will give the name of the ship or
station to which you are to report and the date by
which you are to report. Finding your ship or station
may present complications. Your personnel office
will make every effort to give you the location of your
ship on the day you are due to report, but such
information can change very rapidly.
Your new duty station is your best source of
current information. As mentioned above, write a
short letter to your executive officer (XO) concerning
your reporting date, schools you are attending, and
any pertinent personal information. Your XO will, in
turn, provide you with information concerning the
ship and its movement. A sponsor assigned by your
new command will, if you desire, furnish additional
information pertinent to your personal needs.
Many naval activities are at inconvenient
locations, and their titles are sometimes deceptive.
For instance, the Norfolk Naval Shipyard is not in
Norfolk but in Portsmouth, Virginia; the Portsmouth
3-1
Naval Shipyard is near Portsmouth, New Hampshire,
but is on an island connected by a bridge from Kittery,
Maine; the Naval Submarine Base, New London, is in
Groton, Connecticut. A map of the area will help you
locate your activity. You can run up quite a taxi bill if
you don’t know exactly where you want to go.
While you may know your ship will be in the
Norfolk area at the time you are due to report, its exact
berth may be difficult to locate. It could be in the
Norfolk Naval Shipyard (which is in Portsmouth), it
could be at the naval station (Norfolk), or it might be
at anchor, to mention only a few possibilities. When
you arrive in the area, check your ship’s location by
calling ships information at the main activity or ask
the shore patrol at the Navy Landing. You can usually
find a boat schedule of your ship in the shore patrol
office or posted at the Navy landing. At some ports,
civilian water taxis make runs to ships at anchor and
will take you to your ship for a small fee.
SHIPS STATIONED IN THE
CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES
When reporting to the home port of a ship in the
continental United States (CONUS), you may
discover your ship is out for local operations and
nobody knows when it will return. Now what do you
do? The best thing to do is find out which squadron or
division your ship is in and report to its office.
Ordinarily, a ship’s division or squadron office is
somewhere near the docks and is manned by a staff
even if the ship is at sea. If your ship has no squadron
or division office, check with the personnel office of
the nearest naval command. Ask the personnel office
to help you determine the command to which you
should report pending the arrival of your ship. Ask
that command to endorse your orders stating the date
and time you reported.
SHIPS STATIONED IN EUROPE
Many European nations require a visa or passport
for travel into their territory. Consult NAVMIL-
PERSCOMINST 4650.2 for general information on
the subject of passports. NATO member nations
require supplemental travel orders in English and
French attached to your regular travel orders. Consult
with your personnel officer before your transfer.
When reporting to a ship in Europe, you will
probably first go to Rota, Spain. From there, you will
catch a flight to the port where you can meet your
ship. If you should miss your ship at that port, check
in with any naval activity to determine what
information it has on your ship’s location. If no naval
activities are in the vicinity, check with the American
Consulate. The Consulate will be aware of impending
arrivals or cancellations.
SHIPS STATIONED IN THE WESTERN
PACIFIC
When reporting to a ship in the western Pacific
(WESTPAC), you may have more difficulty getting to
your ship than you would have experienced in the
United States or Europe because of the greater
distances involved. The hints we have just given for
locating your ship also apply for WESTPAC. The
Navy Aviation Transportation Coordination Office
(ATCO) at Military Airlift Command (MAC)
terminals can assist you in getting to your ship.
REPORTING ABOARD
When reporting aboard a ship or shore station,
wear either the uniform of the day prescribed for that
area or the service dress blue. If you have dependents
do not take them with you when you report; you will
be busy enough without them. They can see the ship
or shore station at a later date. (Do not forget to leave
them with sufficient funds.)
The first impression you make will be important.
Many people will be seeing you for the first time and
will be sizing you up. Remember, you never have a
second chance to make a good first impression.
Therefore, ensure your appearance is “ready for
inspection.”
When you report to a ship, salute the colors aft,
salute the officer of the deck (OOD), identify
yourself, request permission to come aboard, and
state that you are reporting aboard for duty. Give the
OOD a copy of your orders. The OOD may also
endorse the original copy. A messenger will probably
take your bags to your room, but do not be above
carrying them yourself if no one is available to help
you.
3-2
CHECKING IN
Most ships and shore stations have a standard
check-in routine for new officers. On the off chance
that your ship does not, remember the following
points:
• Deliver the original and all copies of your
orders to your ship’s administrative or personnel
office.
• After your orders have been properly endorsed
and read by administrative personnel, deliver the
original and several copies along with your pay record
to your disbursing officer. If you do not have a pay
record, your disbursing officer will need two copies of
your orders to open your pay record and two more
copies to pay you for transportation and any
transportation for your dependents.
• If you are delivering your health record to your
new station, deliver it to your medical officer or
hospital corpsman.
• Your executive officer will give you a short
brief. Be ready to discuss your professional
qualifications, type of duty desired, and anything that
might help your new command in assigning you to a
billet. If several officers report aboard about the same
time, the briefing may be in a group format.
• The needs of your command will dictate your
billet assignment. If you do not get the billet you
expect or want, do not feel dejected; accept the
challenge and do the best job you can.
• Your commanding officer will give you a
welcome aboard brief. This first impression will affect
your whole tour aboard. Ensure your uniform and
grooming are inspection-ready. Be yourself! Know
the goals you want to achieve while on sea duty.
MAKING OFFICIAL CALLS
When you talk with your executive officer, bring
up the subject of calls and find out the policy of your
command. In recent years, hail and farewell parties
have replaced official calls at many commands. The
“Social Etiquette” section of this booklet will attempt
to clarify any further questions on calls.
RECEIVING COUNSELING
Your commanding officer will seek information
about your background and your personal ambitions.
Your commanding officer will also ensure you are
aware of the availability of career information and
assistance in your career guidance. You should
discuss each of these subjects during your reporting
interview.
Each command has its own counseling program
for junior officers. You can expect an interview
within 6 months of your reporting interview. This
second interview provides your commanding officer
with an opportunity to apprise you of your progress; it
also provides you an opportunity to express your
opinions on your current duties. Your commanding
officer will discuss your career goals and the steps
you must take to achieve these goals in each
succeeding interview. You can request advice in
preparing for and seeking future sea and shore
assignments including various in-service educational
opportunities.
Expect to be interviewed after 1 year and again 1
to 3 months before your rotation to another duty
station or prospective release from active duty. The
purpose of these interviews is either to discuss your
career potential and allow adequate opportunity for
coordinating your desires with the Bureau of Naval
Personnel or to preface your return to civilian life.
Your commanding officer will give you a frank and
honest appraisal of your career potential as a naval
officer. If you demonstrate career potential in your
performance, your commanding officer will do
everything possible to ensure your personal desires
are considered along with the needs of the Navy.
SETTLING-IN
Since any number of events could occur on your
way to a new duty station, do not make the mistake of
shipping all your earthly possessions ahead of you.
Many new officers have lived in one uniform for
several weeks because of this error in judgment. You
can avoid such problems and be more comfortable if
you carry another suitcase with extra uniforms and
civilian clothes appropriate for the climate of your
new duty station. They may make your stay more
enjoyable in case you get stranded somewhere.
If you have dependents, we suggest you get them
settled for the first few days in a hotel, motel, or one
of the temporary lodging facilities listed in appendix
III. Your sponsor can be infinitely helpful during your
initial settling-in period.
3-3
OBTAINING HOUSING
We advise you to write the housing office at your
new duty station as far in advance as possible for any
information on available housing. (If reporting to a
ship, write the naval station housing office at your
ship’s home port.) Housing information is available
from Navy Family Service Centers located at all
major naval installations in the United States and
overseas.
FAMILY HOUSING
Do not sign any leases until you check with the
housing section of the Family Service Center. The
center will have the latest information on approved
and available housing.
When you do sign a lease, be sure the lease
includes a military clause. Without such a clause, you
could find yourself paying extra rent if breaking your
lease should become necessary.
NOTE: If you seek off-base housing, do not
enter into a rental agreement until you review the
listing of discriminatory and nondiscriminatory rental
establishments maintained in the Housing Referral
Office. Regulations prohibit you from entering into a
rental agreement with an establishment listed as
following a discriminatory rental policy.
BACHELOR HOUSING
Navy policy places high priority on providing
adequate living facilities for its personnel. In keeping
with this policy, the Navy improved its criteria for
construction of living facilities and established
minimum standards of adequacy for volunteer
assignment to Navy bachelor quarters. Unless
dictated by military necessity, you will not be
involuntarily assigned to accommodations that do not
meet minimum standards of occupancy. When
accommodations meeting the prescribed minimum
standards are not available, you can live in the civilian
community and receive Basic Allowance for Quarters
(BAQ) and Variable Housing Allowance (VHA) or
per diem, as applicable. When overseas, you qualify
for a Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) instead of
VHA.
If you receive orders to a naval shore activity
whose bachelor officers’ quarters (BOQ) do not meet
minimum occupancy standards, you can either choose
to live in the inadequate quarters or request
permission to reside in the local community. Make
sure your orders receive an endorsement reflecting the
inadequate BOQ. Each command has instructions
that outline the procedure for requesting permission
to reside in civilian housing in lieu of inadequate
BOQ. For further information, refer to OPNAVINST
11103.1. This instruction establishes Navy bachelor
housing policy.
ADJUSTING TO LIFE ABOARD SHIP
You will have to adjust to life aboard ship. One
adjustment will be the limited space you will have to
stow personal belongings. You will also have to learn
the layout of the ship, when and where to report for
quarters, and new names and faces.
STOWING PERSONAL BELONGINGS
Your room will have a safe in which you can stow
your valuables. Obtain the combination to the safe
from the security manager. Set a new combination on
the safe using the printed instructions, if available, or
follow the advice of an officer experienced in setting
combinations. Try the new combination several times
with the safe open.
Write the combination on a piece of paper and
place it in a sealed envelope. On the outside of the
envelope, write your name, your stateroom number,
and the location of the safe within the stateroom.
Give the envelope to the security manager. The
security manager will only open your safe in case of
an emergency.
After getting settled, remove any unnecessary
baggage from your stateroom. We suggest you keep a
small travel bag, one suitcase, and perhaps a duffel
bag or folding nylon bag. Ask the supply officer
about available stowage facilities for the rest of your
baggage.
GETTING ACQUAINTED
Find out what time and where to report for
quarters and general quarters; also, find out where to
go for drills and what your duties are.
Obtain copies of the Booklet of General Plans,
General Information Book (for newer constructed
ships, the title is Ship Information Book), and Ship’s
Organization and Regulations Manual. Also get
copies of the fleet regulations, type commander’s
directives, squadron commander’s directives, and a
roster of the officers aboard. Start studying!
3-4
One of the best ways to get acquainted with your
ship is to go through the ship from stem to stern and
from top to bottom. You can ask questions freely
without embarrassment while you are new. After you
have been aboard a few months, you may feel foolish
if you ask questions regarding things you should
know. Nevertheless, do not hesitate to ask.
Learn the names of your fellow officers and the
enlisted personnel on board. Address your seniors
and subordinates properly; for example, say, “Good
morning, Commander Door” or “Good morning,
Senior Chief Boate.” This common courtesy is
important.
GOING ASHORE
Do not be too eager to go ashore after first
reporting. Spend a few days getting oriented.
Knowing your environment will be very helpful.
Customarily, heads of departments request
permission for personnel to leave the ship from the
executive officer; junior officers request permission
from the head of the department, and, in some cases,
from the executive officer. Find out from whom you
obtain the necessary permission.
When you request permission to leave the ship, do
not ask permission to go on liberty; simply request
permission to leave the ship. Report to the OOD that
you have permission to leave the ship, and remember
the salutes required when leaving a ship. If you have
a shore address and phone number, make sure they are
on file in the ship’s office. You may wear civilian
clothing when going ashore.
Remember the custom of juniors getting into
boats first and getting out last. If a boat becomes
crowded and you are the junior, get out and catch the
next one. Remember also that seniors are given the
more desirable seats. Boats leave on time; so get a
copy of the boat schedule.
ASSUMING YOUR DUTIES
If you report to a ship, your first assignments will
probably be as a junior division officer and a junior
watch officer. The sooner you qualify as OOD, both
in port and under way, or as duty officer for your
particular department, the better. Such qualifications
are important steps in your career. You can be sure if
you do not qualify, your career will not go far.
You will remain in an “on watch but under
instruction” status until you do qualify. You can count
upon the active interest of the other officers in getting
you qualified, because your qualifying will lighten the
workload for them. You will probably be on watch or
standing duty 1 day out of 6, or more frequently. The
senior watch officer will brief you on your duties.
RELIEVING THE WATCH
Chances are you will be put on the watch list
immediately upon reporting. Whether your duty is as
OOD (in port) or junior officer of the deck (JOOD)
(under way), the first thing to remember is to get on
deck early. Collect as much information as possible
before you report to relieve the watch. Remember
also that relieving the watch is a serious evolution.
You should complete the appropriate watch officer
personnel qualification standards (PQS) as soon as
possible. The Watch Officer’s Guide (Naval Institute
Press) is also a good source of information. It is
available as a Navy nonresident training course
(NRTC) through your Educational Services Office.
RELIEVING AS A DIVISION OFFICER
Through your correspondence with your
executive officer or sponsor, you will have a pretty
good idea of your new duty assignment. As we stated
earlier your first assignment usually will be as a junior
or assistant division officer. That depends largely on
the officer complement aboard the ship or station and
the needs of the command.
If assigned as a division officer, you will be given
a date, normally in writing, stating when you must
relieve the present division officer. Relieving a
division officer requires planning and organization
for a smooth transition.
Start planning your relieving schedule as soon as
you receive your duty assignment. The effectiveness
of your relieving procedure will have a large
influence on your initial success as a division officer.
Before you relieve, you should have a realistic
awareness of the division’s effectiveness and plans to
correct any deficiencies that exist. The objective of
the relieving procedure is that upon relief you will
have positive control of your division. To accomplish
this objective, you need a clear understanding of the
division’s personnel deficiencies and capabilities,
material condition, operations, and mission.
If your new division has a division chief or a
leading chief, this person can be an invaluable source
of information about the division and its personnel. If
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your division has no chief, talk to your command’s
senior enlisted adviser. A command’s senior enlisted
adviser is a command master chief (E-9), a command
senior chief (E-8), or a command chief (E-7).
Regardless of the title, your senior enlisted adviser
can give you a good perspective of your new division.
This person can also assist you in other areas, such as
counseling and personnel problems. Make sure you
cultivate a good relationship with your command’s
senior enlisted adviser. We also recommend the
Division Officer’s Guide to help you in your duties.
You should take the following steps in
preparation for relieving as a division officer:
• As quickly as possible, learn the identity of
your personnel and call them by rate and name. Learn
as much as you can about their personal histories and
professional capabilities by using the division
officer’s notebook and each individual’s service
record as sources of information. Establish
communication with your personnel through formal
and informal interviews. Observe their appearance,
military bearing, and cooperation among themselves
and with members of other divisions. Review your
division’s Personnel Qualification Standards (PQS)
Program. Make sure it is up to date for each person
and is being carried out aggressively. Review the
master training plan for all formal school
requirements. Note the projected rotation date (PRD)
of division personnel and when a relief is to report.
Review the Enlisted Distribution Verification Report
(EDVR) for required Navy enlisted classification
codes (NECs) for the division to ensure the right mix
of personnel is on board.
• Inspect the material condition of the division
for cleanliness, damage control, safety, and
habitability. Inventory and inspect all equipage
before assuming custody. Survey missing equipage.
Routing of the survey is the responsibility of the
division officer being relieved. Do not accept
responsibility for past bad housekeeping. A good aid
in making a material inspection is the checkoff list for
the Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV). Be
sure to note whether discrepancies listed during the
last inspection have been corrected. Also, check
divisional file copies of all pending deferred action
documents to get a firm idea of the division’s material
readiness status. Look at any active casualty reports
(CASREPs). Make sure the division’s planned
maintenance system (PMS) is up to date and effective.
Check the division equipment deficiency log (EDL)
and the current ship’s maintenance program (CSMP).
 • Conduct an administrative inspection. Note
any discrepancies from the last administrative
inspection. The predeployment checkoff list can give
you an excellent idea of what to do before you deploy.
These administrative inspections will raise many
questions, such as the following: Is the tickler file
up-to-date? Does it contain due dates and references
for all reports required? Are security procedures
being followed?
• Talk informally with your superiors and
members of other divisions to get a feeling of the
general impression of your division. As a military
division, how does it compare with others?
Professionally, does your division work smoothly with
other divisions, or is your division poorly coordinated
and in conflict with other divisions? The right
questions, if asked in the right places, can give you an
excellent picture of your division’s performance. To
maintain continuity, get your predecessor’s opinion of
each person in the division, including areas of
dependability, demeanor, personal problems, and any
special leadership techniques (approaches) that work
especially well with certain individuals.
• Upon completion of all necessary inspections
and transfers, report in writing to the commanding
officer, stating your readiness to assume
responsibility for the division. In the report, state the
condition of the division—its personnel, records, and
facilities—and its state of readiness. Note any
deficiencies that exist and recommend procedures for
correcting them. Show the inventory status of all
equipage and classified material assigned to your
division and that you have accepted custody. List
anything that is seriously wrong and any
discrepancies that cannot be corrected in short order.
Ensure your commanding officer is realistically
aware of the conditions that exist in the division at the
time of your relieving. However, avoid any personal
attack on your predecessor unless that person’s
actions or attitude hampered the relieving process.
Impersonal statements of conditions will suffice. Do
not place yourself on the receiving end of grudging,
minimal cooperation. A list of simple explanations of
conditions and plans, including timing for correction,
is not subject to misinterpretation.
During the relieving period, become familiar with
established policies. Your administrative inspection
will reveal many policies. To further clarify them,
become familiar with Standard Organization and
Regulations of the U.S. Navy (OPNAVINST
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3120.32), ship’s or station’s instructions, depart-
mental instructions, and letters that delegate authority.
You and your predecessor should inform division
personnel of your relieving plans and keep them
informed so that they have no doubt about who is in
charge. You can avoid many problems by early
clarification of policies and changes in policies
regarding matters such as the watch, quarter, and
station bill; department organization; sea bag and
personnel inspections; leave; liberty; and mess
cooking. Remember, however, a good rule of
management is to avoid making any drastic changes
until you have been on board for awhile.
PERFORMING COLLATERAL DUTIES
In addition to your primary duty, your command
will assign you some collateral duties. Although
collateral is defined as “secondary or subordinate,” do
not regard such duties as unimportant; on the other
hand, do not allow them to become paramount.
However, do not permit your collateral duties to go
unaccomplished. You must maintain a realistic
balance between your varied, and sometimes
conflicting, responsibilities.
The majority of collateral duties will require you
to provide guidance and information to naval
personnel about matters that affect their welfare both
as individual citizens and as members of a military
organization. A variety of commands and offices
produce notices, instructions, pamphlets, books,
films, posters, and other training aids that will assist
you in these duties.
The following areas are potential pitfalls you
might encounter if you do not approach your
collateral duties properly:
• Registered publications. Many collateral
duties require the use of registered publications. You
must sign receipts for registered publications. Before
signing, read carefully the instructions for handling
registered publications. Check them carefully to be
sure you get what you sign for, the registered numbers
agree, and NO PAGES ARE MISSING. Additionally,
when inventorying registered publications, ensure all
publications have the latest changes properly entered
and recorded. Keep them locked in your safe when
you are not using them; do not leave them lying
around or let them get out of sight. When you have no
further use for them, return them and get properly
cleared. Either have your receipt returned or have the
regular custodian sign for them. A lost or
compromised publication is a serious matter; a letter
of censure or court-martial could result.
• Signed property. If you sign for a pistol,
binoculars, or other government property, be sure the
property is securely stowed when not in use.
• Safety precautions. Shipboard life is
inherently dangerous. You should never permit
yourself or your personnel to use shortcuts that
violate safety requirements. In addition to your
own safety, you are responsible for the people who
work for you. Learning safety requirements and
shipboard safety regulations should be among your
first accomplishments. Your ship or station safety
officer can provide guidance on safety regulations.
Navy Occupational Safety and Health (NAVOSH)
Program Manual for Forces Afloat, OPNAVINST
5100.19, Navy Occupational Safety and Health
( N AVO S H ) P ro g r a m M a n u a l , O P N AV I N S T
5100.23, and Naval Safety Supervisor, NAVEDTRA
10808-2, are good references, among others, for
you to review.
• Custody of funds. If assigned a job involving
custody of funds, such as wardroom mess treasurer,
be careful. When you take over, do not be in a hurry.
Make a thorough check to ensure you get everything
you sign for. Be thorough and firm. Refuse to relieve
until you are satisfied everything is in order. Once
you relieve, you are responsible.
• Auditing. If you are a member of an auditing
board, be sure what you certify as present is actually
present. Members of auditing boards have been
severely censured for carelessness in making audits
and taking inventories. The mere fact that someone
else signs the audit or inventory does not mean you
can sign blindly and assume the audit is accurate.
Usually the junior signs first, at the bottom.
Listed below are three duty areas you may be
assigned in addition to your normal duties:
1. Executive assistants. Duties in this area
include assignments such as training officer,
educational services officer (ESO), public affairs
officer, and legal officer.
2. Boards and committees. You may find
yourself on several different boards and committees.
Some examples are Mess Audit Board, Nuclear
Weapons Safety Council, Welfare and Recreation
Committee, and Enlisted Examining Board.
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3. Collateral duties. You may be assigned
collateral duties such as library officer, athletic
officer, shore patrol officer, and naval warfare
publications library custodian.
CARRYING OUT LEADERSHIP DUTIES
Your most important duty as a junior officer is the
leadership of your personnel. Base your relationship
with them on a thorough knowledge of their
characters, abilities, and personal lives; but never
become too informal.
As you study the organization of your duty
station, learn to fit individuals into its structure. After
gaining a working knowledge of the people in your
division, talk to other division officers to discover
their key personnel. Being able to draw on such key
personnel will be of great value to you.
The chief petty officers in your division are most
important to you. They know their jobs and the
capabilities of the people under them. Work through
your chiefs. Maintain the chain of command. Your
chief petty officers realize you probably do not know
all the technical details. They also realize you
probably know more theory than they. A mutual
exchange of practical knowledge from the chief and
theory from the officer often result in a smoother
operation. Do not assume the attitude that you know
all the answers. You will always find one you will not
know.
Do not lend money to, or have financial dealings
with, enlisted personnel. Article 1111, U.S. Navy
Regulations, 1990, is quite definite on this subject. If
any of your personnel ask you for a loan, decline and
inform them that Navy regulations prohibit your
doing so. If the case is really deserving, the person
should have no difficulty in obtaining a loan from the
ship’s welfare and recreation fund, the Red Cross, or
the Navy and Marine Corps Relief Society. Refer
anyone in such circumstances to the proper people.
Help run interference, and follow up to ensure they
receive proper assistance.
Do your division business in the division. Do not
permit enlisted personnel to hang around your room
or in “officer’s country.” That sounds stuffy, but it is a
sound and long-established custom. Maintain proper
relations with your personnel at all times. Sometimes
minor matters set off a long chain of events of
increasing seriousness.
 As previously mentioned, we strongly
recommend you read Watch Officer’s Guide and
Division Officer’s Guide. These books contain
invaluable information for all junior officers.
PROTOCOL
As a rule, senior officers do not immediately call
attention to your minor faults or errors, but they do
note these things. If you are slow in getting squared
away, they might mention these deficiencies.
After you become oriented and feel comfortable
in your new environment, you may wish to have
guests aboard for dinner, take a look around, and go to
a movie. That is an old naval custom, and an excellent
one if it does not become an everyday occurrence.
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Usually a holiday evening meal or Sunday noon meal
is a suitable time for guests.
Clear your intention to have guests aboard for a
meal with the wardroom mess caterer. The caterer
must ensure sufficient places are set and enough food
is prepared to go around.
When your guests arrive at the ship, either
accompany them or be on deck to meet them. If your
guest is a very important person (VIP), try to make an
appointment for the person to see the captain for a few
minutes. If that isn’t possible, at least inform the
captain that a VIP is aboard the ship.
Introduce your guests to your fellow officers.
When they have guests, help keep the conversation
going and be similarly helpful in other ways.
 CHAPTER 4

PERSONAL AFFAIRS

You are responsible for your own personal affairs. 4. Reserve status
This chapter touches on many of the more important
5. Service determinations, separation,
personal matters you should be aware of. Don’t take
retirement
these matters for granted.

YOUR MILITARY RECORD

Article 5020110 of the Military Personnel
Manual (MILPERSMAN) sets forth the regulations on
officer records. The Bureau of Naval Personnel
(BUPERS) maintains a microfiche record for each
Navy and Naval Reserve officer. The record contains
any document that bears or reflects on the character,
performance, professional qualifications, and fitness
of the officer. The officer microfiche service record is
divided into six basic areas containing the following
information:

• FICHE NO. 1—FITNESS AND AWARDS

1. Assignment officer code Fiche 2

2. Latest photograph • FICHE NO. 3—PERSONAL DATA

3. Fitness reports and attachments 1. Security investigations, clearances, per-
4. Medals, awards, citations sonal history statement
2. Record of emergency data
3. Record changes
4. Personal background data (citizenship,
casualty, death, biography)
5. Physical examination report
6. Miscellaneous personal data

Fiche 1

• FICHE NO. 2—PROFESSIONAL HISTORY

1. Educational data
2. Qualifications, classifications, designation
data
3. Appointments, promotions, commissions Fiche 3

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• FICHE NO. 4—ORDERS
Fiche 4
• FICHE NO. 5—PRIVILEGED INFORMA-
TION
1. Adverse information
2. Statements of the officer in reply to adverse
information
3. Extracts from the findings and recom-
mendations of courts and boards
concerning the officer
Fiche 5
• FICHE NO. 6—ENLISTED RECORD
1. Prepared only for officers who have served
as enlisted members for 2 years or more.
Enlisted documents for officers who
completed less than 2 years of enlisted
service are distributed in the appropriate
subject matter field on fiche 1 through 5.
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2. A fiche number 6 is not prepared during the
conversion process for temporary officers
who held concurrent enlisted status.
Fiche 6
The official officer microfiche record, which is
presented to selection boards, consists of fiche
numbers 1, 2, and 5 for active-duty officers and fiche
numbers 1, 2, 4, and 5 for officers in the inactive
Reserve and Training and Administration of Reserves
(TAR) Program.
MATERIAL IN YOUR RECORD
Any matter, such as that described in fiche 1
through 6, that is rightfully placed in the official
record of an officer may not be removed except by
special authorization of the Secretary of the Navy.
Each day of your service career you are building up
material for your record, which, when properly
entered, is there to stay.
Once submitted to the BUPERS, an official
document becomes the property of the Navy
Department and is not subject to change or removal,
except by authorization of the Secretary of the Navy.
A document, for example, a fitness report, may be
amended or supplemented by correspondence
forwarded via official channels. In such cases the
forwarding correspondence will be made a part of the
document being amended or supplemented. An
exception to the above concerns information relating
to an officer’s desire to resign. If that officer should
change plans and decide not to resign, any
correspondence relating to the resignation will be
removed from the record at the officer’s request.
The Chief of Naval Personnel reviews your
record when any change in your status is
contemplated, such as promotion, assignment to duty,
special details, trial by general court-martial, or
disciplinary action. Your record is of particular
importance in selections for promotion to the higher
grades. In furnishing the material for your record,
you are daily adding to evidence of your personal and
professional reputation in the service. Anonymous
communications are not made a part of an officer’s
record.
CONFIDENTIAL MATTER
The Head, Military Records Branch, Bureau of
Naval Personnel, maintains files of classified
correspondence from any source pertaining to an
officer. The files of the majority of officers contain no
classified matter.
Material of an unfavorable nature is referred to
the officer concerned before being filed. The Chief of
Naval Personnel must authorize access to an officer’s
classified file by other than the officer concerned.
This restricted access safeguards the officer’s
interests and preserves the security of certain
categories of information.
WHO MAY SEE YOUR RECORD
Access to an officer’s record normally is limited
to the following people:
• The officer
• An agent or representative of the officer
specifically authorized in writing
• Personnel who are required to review military
service records in the performance of their
official duties
• Duly convened boards of the Department of the
Navy
• Personnel authorized by courts-martial
proceedings
• Personnel authorized by a court order signed
by a judge
Should you see your record? Yes, by all means.
You may personally review your record in the
BUPERS Record Review Room (Pers-312D), Room
3036, of the Navy Annex. Also, you may specifically
authorize in writing another person to review your
record for you.
Normally the receptionist at the Record Review
Room requires about 45 minutes to provide a record
for review. You can save time by calling ahead to
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(703) 614-2858 or DSN 224-2858 or 224-1315 to
request that your record be drawn before your arrival.
Be sure everything required is in your record. See
that it gives a consistent, uninterrupted account of
your naval service. Ensure all awards, citations, and
fitness reports are present.
Next, try to look over the record objectively.
Consider that you are a stranger evaluating the
individual reflected by the files. How does this
person look to other people? What are the person’s
strengths and weaknesses? What should this person
do to improve professionally? Can you outline a
program for this person to follow? Your record can be
an invaluable guide toward your future conduct in the
Navy.
In addition to your field service record
(NAVPERS 1070/66), you are urged to maintain a
personal file. It should contain copies of originals of
all orders, endorsements, official letters received,
travel reimbursements, and any other documents
likely to be important for future reference.
You may have a copy of your microfiche record
sent to you by writing to the Commander, Bureau of
Naval Personnel (ATTN: Pers-312), Washington, DC
20370-5312. Your handwritten signature and Social
Security number (SSN) are required.
PRIVACY ACT
Your record is protected by the Privacy Act.
Under the provisions of SECNAVINST 5211.5, any
forms that solicit personal information covered by
this act must contain or be accompanied by a
statement explaining the authority for, the use of, and
the consequences of disclosing the information.
OFFICER QUALIFICATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
Information recorded in automated master files
concerning an officer’s skills and experiences is taken
from the Officer Qualification Questionnaire
(NAVPERS 1210/5). Officers should complete this
questionnaire at the time of initial appointment to
officer status. The disposition of the questionnaire is
as follows:
• The NAVPERS 1210/5 for newly com-
missioned officers reporting to duty or active duty, as
appropriate, is forwarded to the Bureau of Naval
Personnel for filing in the officer’s service record.
• The NAVPERS 1210/5 for newly com-
missioned officers reporting to inactive duty shall be
forwarded to the Naval Reserve Personnel Center for
filing in the Officer Qualification Record.
If the NAVPERS 1210/5 is missing upon verifi-
cation of an officer’s service record, the officer must
complete a new form. Copies of the Officer
Qualification Questionnaire will be forwarded to
BUPERS or the Naval Reserve Personnel Center only
at the time of initial commission or upon request.
FITNESS REPORTS
Each officer’s performance is evaluated at least
annually (twice a year for LTJGs and W-2s)—on the
officer’s detachment and on the reporting senior’s
detachment. Additionally, special, concurrent, and
operational commander reports may be issued under
special conditions. All reports for captains and below
are done on the NAVPERS 1611/1 form. It is a
multipart form with copies for the officer, the
reporting senior, and the headquarters’ record.
Fitness reports constitute a running record of your
performance throughout your service. They are the
primary tool used in the promotion and assignment
process.
Periodic Fitness Reports (FITREPs) are due on
the last day of the month shown as follows. They
must be submitted within 15 days after the end of the
reporting period.
CWO2 March and September
CWO3/CWO4 March
ENS May
LTJG February and August
LT January
LCDR October
Observed reports for junior officers must be
signed by both the officer and the reporting senior
before submission. Before you sign your report,
verify that your SSN and name are correct. Check
blocks 12 and 13 to be sure that there is continuity
between reports. Your current report must cover the
entire period since your last report or cover the first
FITREP received when you came on active duty. You
should receive a copy of the report. If you don’t, you
should ask for it. Be sure to retain your copies.
SELECTION BOARDS
All promotions to lieutenant and higher are made
by statutory selection boards convened by the
Secretary of the Navy. These boards are charged with
selecting officers who are best qualified for
promotion.
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Selection boards use the fitness reports on your
microfiche record as their primary source of
information. They also use the Officer Summary
Record (OSR). The OSR summarizes information
about the officer from automated files. In addition to
summaries of fitness reports, the OSR displays
information about appointments, promotions, current
assignment, awards, schools, education, and
qualifications. You may obtain a copy of your OSR
by writing to President, [appropriate fiscal year,
grade, line or staff corps] Promotion Selection Board,
Bureau of Naval Personnel (Pers-26), Washington,
DC 20370-5220. Naval Reservists should use the
preceding address but substitute the following
information: Pers-93 and ZIP Code 20370-5930.
Include your name, SSN, and mailing address; be sure
to sign the request.
In addition, numerous administrative boards are
conducted each year. These boards consider officers
for many programs, including subspecialty,
augmentation, training, and department head.
HEALTH RECORD
Most of the time your health record will take care
of itself. Rather, the medical officer or administrative
unit to which you are attached will take care of it and,
under certain conditions, will forward it to your next
duty station. At those times when you have your
health record in your possession, you are responsible
for it. Take care of it, for it is an important record.
Not having it at the right time may mean taking your
immunization shots over again. Your health history is
reviewed to determine your entitlement to any
disability allowance. This entitlement can affect your
retirement and pay!
YOUR PAY ACCOUNT
Under the Joint Uniform Military Pay System
(JUMPS), your pay account is centrally maintained
by the Defense Finance and Accounting
Service—Cleveland Center (DFAS-CL), Cleveland,
Ohio. Your Personnel Support Detachment (PSD)
(shore commands) or disbursing and administration
offices (afloat commands) submit daily computer
input to DFAS-CL. This input provides details that
affect your pay, allowances, deductions, and leave.
All changes, such as promotions, dependent status, or
leave taken, affect your pay and your taxes.
DFAS-CL prepares a monthly account of your
pay and accrued leave in the form of a Leave and
Earnings Statement (LES), which is mailed to your
local disbursing officer in duplicate. Figure 4-1 is a
Figure 4-1.—Sample LES.

4-5
sample of an LES. You receive one copy of the LES
for your information; disbursing files the other copy
in your Personal Financial Record (PFR).
The LES reflects the status of your pay on the
computerized master military pay account (MMPA).
Each month when your new LES arrives, disbursing
ensures all outstanding actions have been posted. The
disbursing copy is filed in your local pay record,
which contains your 12 most recent LESs. Your LES
contains all leave information and forecasts of the
amount of money due for the next two paydays.
When you have a permanent change of station,
you take your pay record with you to your next duty
station. Naval Academy (USNA) graduates receive
their pay record upon detachment from the Academy.
PFRs are established for Reserve officers at their first
duty station when they report for active duty.
BASIC PAY
The pay of all military members is prescribed by
law. Members are entitled to receive pay according to
their paygrade and years of creditable service. Pay
and allowances generally accrue from the date of
acceptance of appointment as an officer. The normal
method of acceptance is taking the oath of office.
Commencement of travel in compliance with an order
(ordered to active duty) is considered acceptable for
pay purposes, but payments will not start until formal
signing of the oath of office. USNA graduates are
considered to be on active duty once they graduate.
BASIC ALLOWANCE FOR
QUARTERS/VARIABLE
HOUSING ALLOWANCE
The U.S. government has a responsibility to
house you and your dependents. That can be done in
many different ways. The most common is payment
of basic allowance for quarters (BAQ) and variable
housing allowance (VHA). BAQ and VHA are
compensatory entitlements paid to help defray the
cost of civilian housing. Officers without dependents
still qualify for BAQ if they maintain a residence.
BAQ with dependents is paid to all married members
and members with dependent children or parents.
Dependent children or parents must be specifically
authorized by DFAS-CL. BAQ without dependents is
paid to members who have no dependents and live off
the ship or base. The commanding officer has the
final authority for approving or disapproving BAQ
requests for members without dependents.
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CAREER SEA PAY
To qualify for career sea pay (CSP), you must
have at least 3 years of sea duty and be assigned to a
category A vessel (primary mission accomplished
under way), ship-based staff, or ship-based aviation
unit. Duty on board a category B vessel (primary
mission accomplished in port) warrants CSP only
when the ship is under way or in port at least 50 miles
away from the home port.
BASIC ALLOWANCE FOR SUBSISTENCE
All officers, regardless of their dependency
status, qualify for basic allowance for subsistence
(BAS). This entitlement pays for your meals.
FAMILY SEPARATION ALLOWANCE
Family separation allowance (FSA) is payable
only to members with dependents. It provides
compensation for added expenses incurred because of
a forced separation from your dependents. A forced
separation includes deployments and long periods of
temporary duty requiring you to be away from your
family for a period greater than 30 days.
Another type of FSA is payable if you are
required to maintain two households, such as a tour
that does not allow your dependents to accompany
you. This type of FSA is payable at the same rate as
BAQ without dependents.
PAY FOR HAZARDOUS AND SPECIAL
DUTY
If you qualify you can receive additional pay for
certain hazardous or special duty. Special duty pay
includes aviation career incentive pay (ACIP) and
submarine duty pay. You are entitled to hazardous
duty pay if your duties expose you to hostile fire
(except in time of war) or if you are assigned to duties
involving diving or parachuting.
SPECIAL PAY FOR HEALTH
PROFESSIONALS
Officers qualified in medical, dental, and
optometry can receive special pay for active service in
some cases.
TAXES ON YOUR PAY
You must pay federal income tax on your Navy
pay. The amount deducted depends upon the
withholding statement (W-4) you file with your
disbursing officer. You must pay federal income tax
on (1) basic pay, (2) incentive and special pay, (3)
certain travel pay, and (4) other pay as applicable.
You do not pay tax on allowances such as subsistence
and allowance for quarters.
Military personnel come under the Federal
Insurance Contributions Act (FICA), which provides
Social Security coverage for members of the armed
forces. FICA taxes are deducted from your monthly
pay and are currently limited to a specified maximum
during a calendar year.
You may also have to pay a state income tax to
your state of record. When you enter the Navy on
active duty, you fill out a DD Form 2058 to designate
your state of legal residence. Some states do not
require active-duty citizens to pay a state income tax,
and some states do not have any state income tax.
Check with your disbursing officer for additional
information.
PAYDAY
Payday takes place twice each month on dates
established by your commanding officer, normally the
1st and 15th of each month. The Department of
Defense has mandated that all service members elect
a financial institution to have their net pay directly
deposited. This election must be accomplished within
6 months after your entry into active duty.
Since you will probably have to pay many of your
bills by mail, having a checking account will be a
necessity. Most naval personnel have the opportunity
to join a Navy or Defense Credit Union, which will
provide them the opportunity to open a checking
account. Financial Institutions often have branch
offices conveniently located near most large
installations.
Remember, you can have your net pay
automatically deposited into your checking account
through the Direct Deposit System. Allotments can
also be paid to an account at a financial institution.
This Direct Deposit System (DDS) is in addition to
the Navy allotment system. If you change duty
stations, your direct deposit will continue while you
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are on leave or in a travel status. If you are in transit
or have temporary duty before the DDS starts, you
can be paid by any military disbursing officer of the
Department of Defense or the Coast Guard. To
receive pay, you must present your pay record,
identification card, and original orders.
Do not carry large sums of cash on your person.
Since your profession requires that you travel in many
parts of the world, acquire the habit of carrying
traveler’s checks rather than cash. You can purchase
traveler’s checks from any bank or credit union. If
your checks are lost or stolen, you can obtain refunds
quickly, but you have little hope of ever getting back
any lost or stolen cash. Never leave cash unattended
in your stateroom or bachelor officers’ quarters
(BOQ). Remember, you are not the only one with a
key to your room.
ALLOTMENTS
Allotments of pay are important, useful, and
convenient. Your disbursing officer will help you fill
out the necessary allotment forms.
DFAS-CL will pay the amount of the allotment
each month to whomever you designate. Allotments
are normally designated for dependents, insurance,
savings accounts, checking accounts, and government
savings bonds. The Department of Defense Military
Pay and Allowances Entitlements Manual (DODPM)
outlines other types of allotments. Allotments
normally reach the intended person or agency by the
5th of the month, if the person or agency is located
within the continental United States (CONUS). Once
an allotment is started, it must remain active for at
least 3 months.
Changes to allotments require planning. If you
are on board a ship and want to start an allotment,
ensure the disbursing officer has the appropriate
documentation no later than the 17th of the month
preceding the month in which you wish the allotment
to start. Members serviced by a PSD have a little
more time; the deadline is the 28th of the preceding
month.
One extra note: If you should learn in advance
that you will be reporting to a deployed ship, you
would be wise to consult a disbursing officer (before
reporting aboard) about requesting an allotment for
your dependents. An allotment will ensure they have
an income while you are away.
ADVANCES OF PAY
If you receive permanent change of station (PCS)
orders to a location outside your current geographical
area, your commanding officer can authorize an
advance of pay not to exceed 1 month’s basic pay less
the following:
• Income tax withholdings
• FICA tax deductions
• Scheduled liquidation of any indebtedness
(including any unliquidated amount resulting
from an advance previously made on a
different set of PCS orders)
• Servicemen’s Group Life Insurance (SGLI)
premiums, if applicable
In cases involving extreme hardship, your
commanding officer may authorize up to 3 months
advance pay less deductions.
DFAS-CL will withhold part of your pay each
payday until the advance is repaid. The advance must
be fully liquidated within 12 months (starting on the
15th of the month following the month in which the
advance was made) or before your projected rotation
date (PRD). You can repay the entire balance of the
advance any time during this 12-month period. In
certain cases the commanding officer can authorize an
extension of the repayment schedule to 24 months.
Advance pay is often referred to as a “dead horse.”
PERSONAL FINANCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY
Commanding officers should not act as agents for
claimants in business transactions or claim
collections. Normally, the commanding officer only
ensures that the claimant’s communication reaches
the right person and that the person responds
promptly. Commanding officers will not tolerate
actions of irresponsibility, gross carelessness, neglect,
or dishonesty in the financial dealings of their
personnel. Federal law allows garnishment of your
pay if you fail to pay your federal taxes, court-ordered
child support, or alimony.
If evidence indicates an officer is negligent or
careless in attending to personal finances, the
commanding officer will make an appropriate entry
on the officer’s fitness report. If the circumstances
meet certain criteria, the commanding officer may
recommend trial by court-martial. When finances are
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extensively involved, the officer may have to submit a
monthly statement of indebtedness and show positive
intentions in fulfilling unpaid obligations. Article
6210140 of the MILPERSMAN outlines Navy policy
on personal indebtedness.
DEPENDENT IDENTIFICATION
CARDS (DD-1173)
Persons dependent upon you for more than
one-half of their support normally qualify for a
number of benefits. Your dependent must have a
valid dependent identification card to qualify for the
following benefits:
• Medical care at uniformed services facilities
and Civilian Health and Medical Program for
Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS) facilities
• Commissary, exchange, and theater privileges
• Special privileges overseas
NAVMILPERSCOMINST 1750.1 explains
dependent identification card application procedures
and associated benefits.
MEDICAL CARE FOR DEPENDENTS
Another benefit for your dependents is the medical
care protection provided under the Uniformed Services
Health Benefits Program (USHBP). SECNAVINST
6320.8 describes this program in detail. To ensure your
dependents receive care under this program, you must
enroll them in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility
Reporting System (DEERS). DEERS has two
objectives. Its first objective is to collect, and provide
for management’s use, demographic and sociographic
data on the population entitled to receive DOD
benefits. Its second objective is to prevent misuse of
these medical benefits.
The USHBP provides for comprehensive medical
care in military medical facilities. The CHAMPUS
portion of the USHBP also covers most civilian
medical care accepted as good medical practice.
Excluded are domiciliary or custodial care, routine
physical examinations or spectacles, prosthetic
appliance devices other than artificial limbs and eyes,
and routine dental care. USHBP makes some
exceptions to these exclusions.
Table 4-1 provides a breakdown on the
Uniformed Services Health Benefits. A pamphlet
entitled CHAMPUS gives additional information
concerning USHBP. You may obtain this pamphlet
 Table 4-1.—Uniformed Services Health Benefits

Uniformed Services Medical Facilities Civilian Health and Medical Program

(CHAMPUS)

Eligible Patients Inpatient Outpatient Inpatient Outpatient Program for

Handicapped

Active-Duty Yes, first priority Not eligible Not eligible Not eligible
Member

Spouse or child of Yes, if space-available Yes—may Yes Yes (needs

AD member need prior approval)
nonavailability
certificate

Retired member, Yes, if space available Yes, unless Yes, unless Not eligible
spouse or dependent eligible for eligible for
child of retiree, MEDICARE MEDICARE
surviving spouse or (Part A); may (Part A)
dependent child of need
AD member, or Nonavailabilit
retiree y certificate

Dependent parents Yes, if space available Not eligible Not eligible Not eligible
or parents-in-law of
AD, retired or
deceased member,
and certain former
spouses are
authorized military
hospital and
CHAMPUS care if
they do not have
employer-sponsored
health care

from the U.S. Government Printing Office or from a
health benefits adviser at naval hospitals and major
naval commands.
ELIGIBILITY
Medical care from both civilian and uniformed
services facilities may be extended to dependents and
survivors of (1) active-duty members and (2)
members and former members in receipt of retired or
similar pay.
To be eligible for medical benefits, a dependent
must bear one of the following relationships to the
member or former member:
• Be a lawful spouse or unremarried widow/
widower
• Be an unmarried legitimate child, adopted
child, or stepchild, in one of the following categories:
(1) under 21 years of age; (2) over 21 but incapable of
self-support because of mental or physical incapacity
that existed before the age of 21 and dependent on
service member for over one-half of support; or (3)
under 23, enrolled in a full-time course in an approved
institution of higher learning, and dependent on the
service member for over one-half of support
Retired members and their spouses and children
and the spouses and children of deceased members

4-9
who become entitled (at any age) to hospital
insurance benefits under Medicare Hospital Insurance
(Medicare Part “A”) lose their eligibility for all types
of civilian care under CHAMPUS. Such individuals
retain eligibility for care in uniformed services
facilities, however, even after age 65.
Nonavailability Statements
Dependents of active-duty members who reside
with their sponsors must use uniformed services
facilities for their inpatient medical care if a facility
capable of providing the appropriate care is available
in the area in which they reside. CHAMPUS will pay
for civilian inpatient care costs for such persons only
if a certificate indicating the care was not available at
the facility is submitted with the CHAMPUS claim or
if the care was provided in an emergency.
Medical Care for Parents or Parents-In-Law
Under certain circumstances the parents or
parents-in-law of active-duty or retired (with pay)
service members are eligible for medical care from
uniformed services facilities. At the time of the
member’s death, the parents or parents-in-law must
be, or must have been, dependent on the member for
over one-half of their support and residing in a
dwelling provided or maintained by the service
member.
Maternity Care in Civilian Facilities
For the most current information on dependent
maternity care in civilian facilities, consult the
CHAMPUS Handbook. Health benefits advisers at
military medical facilities can provide you with a
copy of this handbook.
HEALTH CARE COVERAGE UPON
SEPARATION
Upon your release from active duty, you can
enroll in the United Services Voluntary Insurance
Program (USVIP). This health insurance program
covers you, your spouse, and your children. Your
personnel office will have details on this program.
DENTAL CARE FOR DEPENDENTS
Your family is eligible for dental care from any
uniformed service dental facility on a space-available
or emergency basis. Availability depends upon such
factors as the physical capacity of the dental clinic,
the number of active-duty members the clinic must
support, the staff assigned to the clinic, and the
amount of dependents and retirees requesting care.
Overseas dental facilities are normally staffed to
provide primary dental care to dependents who
accompany their military sponsors. Stateside clinics,
however, are staffed only to meet the needs of the
active-duty population.
To address this lack of stateside coverage, the
uniformed services offer the active-duty Dependents
Dental Plan (DDP). Participation in the plan, which is
administered by a civilian contractor and supervised
by the Office of CHAMPUS, is voluntary. The plan
provides basic dental benefits to spouses and children
of active-duty personnel. Dependents enrolled in this
plan may go to any licensed civilian dentist. The
government pays most of the program’s cost. The
service member’s share of the monthly premium is
$5.20 for one dependent or $10.00 for two or more
dependents. If the DDP beneficiary uses a
participating dentist, all covered diagnostic and
preventive services are free. A member pays 20
percent of the cost for covered restorative services,
such as fillings. You can get additional information
on DDP benefits from your Health Benefits Adviser.
LIFE INSURANCE
The advantages of a sound life insurance program
for naval officers are many and unquestioned, but
some bear repeating to ensure you know about them.
SERVICEMEN’S GROUP LIFE
INSURANCE (SGLI)
Public Laws 98-289 and 97-66 provide the
Servicemen’s Group Life Insurance Program. The
program provides a $100,000 insurance policy on the
life of every active-duty member of the uniformed
services subject to a call to active duty or to orders
that do not specify a period of 30 days or less. A small
amount of money is automatically deducted from
each member’s pay to cover a portion of the premium.
The service concerned pays the remaining premium
cost. A member may elect to submit SGLI-8286
requesting coverage in any $5,000 increments below
$100,000 or choose not to be covered.
Under SGLI each member may elect any
person(s) or entity(ies) as beneficiary(ies) for the
insurance proceeds. Each member may also elect that
the insurance proceeds be paid in a lump sum or 36

4-10
equal monthly payments. Otherwise, the beneficiary
may choose the mode of settlement. If you do not
designate a beneficiary, your insurance will be paid
automatically in the following order of precedence:
1. Your spouse
2. Your child or children in equal shares, with the
share of any deceased child distributed among
the descendants of that child
3. Your parents in equal shares or the entire
amount to the surviving parent
4. The duly appointed executor or administrator
of your estate
5. Your next of kin under the laws of your state or
domicile at the time of your death
If you do not want your insurance paid in the
above order, you must designate a beneficiary. Such
designation, to be valid, must be in writing, over your
signature, and received in the personnel office before
your death.
Please note that your Record of Emergency Data
(NAVPERS 1070/602) substantiates the designation
of a beneficiary for unpaid pay and allowances, death
gratuity, and the like. However, it does not serve to
designate a beneficiary to receive the proceeds of
Servicemen’s Group Life Insurance. Also, note that if
you have no surviving spouse or children, the
proceeds of the insurance are paid to surviving
parents in equal shares. This provision applies
regardless of whether parents are living together or
are divorced. A sole surviving parent will receive the
entire amount of the insurance. As long as both
parents are living, they are entitled to an equal share
of the insurance payment, unless the service member
designates, in writing, that the proceeds should be
paid to only one of the parents.
Proceeds are paid on the basis of Claim for Death
Benefits (SGLV-8283). When the Navy Department
receives notification of a Navy member’s death, it
automatically forwards an SGLV-8283 to survivors.
Payments of such benefits, made to or on account of a
beneficiary, are exempt from taxation and the claims
of creditors. Payments also are not liable to
attachment, levy, or seizure by or under any legal or
equitable process whatever, either before or after
receipt by the beneficiary. The above exemptions do
not apply to collection of amounts due as premiums or
the taxation of property purchased out of such
insurance payments or to levy under the Internal
4-11
Revenue Code of 1954 (relating to seizure of property
for taxes).
The SGLI Program is an excellent low-cost term
insurance program to supplement the survivor
protection program of every active-duty member. It
also offers conversion privileges to Veterans Group
Life Insurance (VGLI). You are encouraged to retain
full coverage under the SGLI Program while on active
duty in the Navy.
VETERANS GROUP LIFE INSURANCE
(VGLI)
Public Law 93-289 also provides the Veterans
Group Life Insurance (VGLI) Program. VGLI is a
voluntary program that provides up to $100,000 of
term insurance for 5 years following your release
from active duty or active Reserve participation. You
must apply for the insurance within 120 days
following your release from active duty by
completing the application form and sending it with
the first month’s premium to the Office of
Servicemen’s Group Life Insurance (OSGLI). At the
end of the 5-year period following your release from
active service, VGLI offers you the chance to convert
to an individual policy. You may choose one of many
approved companies, who will write a new policy for
you without evidence of insurability. Complete
information is available at your personnel office.
ADDITIONAL INSURANCE NEEDS
Estimate the advantages and disadvantages of
various insurance policies solely from the viewpoint
of providing the minimum requirements of financial
protection for your dependents in the event of your
untimely death. You are the best judge of such needs;
the decision should be yours and not that of the agent
who is selling the insurance. Usually, term and
ordinary life contracts offer the younger officer the
best solution to insurance problems. You should also
consider insurance through the Navy Mutual Aid
Association. This association offers many advantages
other than insurance, such as assistance to survivors
in processing claims and serving as a repository for
important papers and documents.
CAUTION: Read your policies carefully to
ensure they contain no war or aviation exclusion
clauses. Many companies automatically add aviation
exclusion clauses for all naval personnel, but most
good companies do not. Avoid carrying policies that
do not cover those risks associated with your work.
Most officers will fly in service aircraft and
sometimes will receive training in these aircraft.
Aviation exclusion clauses may not cover you in such
training situations.
Review your insurance regularly. Review the
beneficiary clause after the following changes in
family relationships:
• You marry or divorce.
• Your spouse dies.
• Children are born, adopted, or die.
• Your parents die or change their marital status.
• Your brothers or sisters die or change their
marital status.
• Your spouse’s relatives have a change of status.
The following two examples show what could
occur if insurance beneficiaries are ignored:
• An ensign, educated at considerable sacrifice
on the part of his family, marries a woman from a
distant town. After twins are born he makes his
insurance payable in one lump sum to his wife, if
living; otherwise, to his children in monthly
installments. Some time later all of them are in an
auto accident. He dies first, then his children, and
then his wife. His insurance goes to his wife’s estate
and thence to his wife’s relatives. His own family,
who had worked so hard to give him a chance in life,
gets NOTHING.
• A lieutenant has a life insurance policy payable
to her husband in installments covering a 20-year
period. The lieutenant dies. After receiving about
one-fourth of the installments, her husband dies too.
Their only child, a son, is not named in the policy.
Their child was born after the policy was taken out,
and the lieutenant failed to change the beneficiary
clause. The remaining proceeds, therefore, go to her
husband’s estate. Since her husband has no will, an
administrator is appointed, which costs money.
Moreover, the husband remarried after the
lieutenant’s death; therefore, the second wife is
entitled to a share in her estate. So the lieutenant’s
son receives a greatly reduced share of her insurance
proceeds. Fortunately for the son, no other children
are involved.
Do not forget your insurance policies. Examine
them once a year. Examine them after any change of
4-12
status. Talk them over with the insurance and benefits
officer aboard your ship or station. Make sure you
include complete commercial insurance information
in your Record of Emergency Data (NAVPERS
1070/602). For example, many credit unions and
automobile clubs provide automatic insurance
coverage for their members. Include this type of
information in your Record of Emergency Data.
OTHER FORMS OF INSURANCE
You should also consider other forms of
insurance, such as automobile and personal liability
insurance. The present trend of court awards for
damages is toward higher and higher sums of money.
Awards of several hundred thousand dollars are not
uncommon for injuries caused by accidents occurring
on the street or on one’s premises. Many officers find
they should provide for personal property and real
estate insurance, fidelity bonds, and burglary
insurance. See your insurance and benefits officer for
more information.
SURVIVOR BENEFITS
Dependents of service members who die while on
active duty receive certain benefits. You should
consider these benefits in connection with planning
your insurance program. Bring them to the attention
of your dependents.
DEATH GRATUITY PAY
The amount of death gratuity equals 6 months’
basic pay plus special and incentive pay at the rate to
which the deceased member was entitled on the date
of death. The payment is limited to a maximum of
$6,000. Under current law, the survivors of all
members are eligible for the maximum amount. The
computation of death gratuity does not include
allowances such as basic allowance for subsistence or
quarters, station per diem allowances, and clothing
allowances. The disbursing officer who carries the
pay record of the deceased upon receipt of the
commanding officer’s certification of death and
determination of eligible survivor authorizes payment
of the death gratuity. To ensure immediate payment,
be sure your Record of Emergency Data is current.
DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY
COMPENSATION
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pays
dependency and indemnity compensation to spouses,
unmarried children, and dependent parents of those
who die as a result of military service. Payments are
as follows:
• Compensation for the spouse is paid in
monthly rates based on the service member ’s
paygrade. Payments to the spouse of a deceased
member may be increased if the spouse is a patient in
a nursing home or requires the regular aid and
attendance of another person. Remarriage makes a
spouse ineligible, but the spouse may reapply for
these benefits if the new marriage terminates.
• Compensation for children under 18 depends
on the presence and eligibility of their surviving
parent. If there is an eligible spouse, as indicated
above, an additional payment for each child under 18
is authorized. If there is no remaining eligible spouse
because of death, divorce from the service member,
or remarriage after the service member’s death, the
compensation for children under 18 is paid at varying
rates. All of these payments are in addition to the
benefits for which children under the age of 18 may
be eligible under Social Security. Payment of
compensation for support of a child normally stops
when the child becomes 18. Refer to
NAVMILPERSCOMINST 1750.2 for specific
entitlement.
• Compensation for children over 18 may be
paid when a child is incapable of self-support by
reason of physical or mental disability or until age 23
if a child is attending school and is not receiving War
Orphans’ Assistance. Entitlement in this category
varies in accordance with the condition of the child
and the status of the widow/widower.
• Compensation for a dependent parent or
parents is provided on a sliding scale according to
other income.
BURIAL RIGHTS
The government provides reasonable allowances
for burial of deceased service members. The local
chaplain usually helps survivors make arrangements
of this kind.
TRANSPORTATION OF DEPENDENTS
In the event of the death of a service member,
transportation is furnished for dependents at
government expense upon application by the senior
dependent. Dependents may receive transportation
4-13
from their place of residence when first officially
notified of the member’s death to the place they wish
to make their home, subject to certain regulations.
TRANSPORTATION OF PERSONAL
PROPERTY
The dependents of a deceased service member are
entitled to movement of household goods from their
place of residence at the time of the member’s death,
or within 1 year, to the place they wish to make their
home.
SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS
On 1 January 1957 members of the armed forces
became eligible for benefits provided by the Old Age
and Survivor Insurance (OASI) Program of the Social
Security system on a permanent, contributory basis.
This contribution will increase over time based on
applicable legislation.
The amount of Social Security benefits paid to
survivors depends on the “average monthly wage”
earned by the service member. However, the Survivor
Benefit Plan payments to survivors of retired military
personnel are reduced in some instances by the
amount of Social Security received as a result of the
deceased member’s military service.
SURVIVOR BENEFIT PLAN
Public Law 92-425 established the Survivor
Benefit Plan within the Uniformed Services
Retirement System. The Survivor Benefit Plan
complements the survivor benefits of Social Security
for military personnel in retirement. The plan
provides all retired members of the uniformed
services, including Reservists who qualify for retired
pay at age 60, an opportunity to leave a portion of
their retired pay to survivors at a reasonable cost. All
active-duty personnel who reach the point of
retirement eligibility are covered by the plan without
cost for as long as they remain on active duty.
NAVMILPERSCOMINST 1750.2 contains details of
this program.
LEGAL ASSISTANCE
From time to time everyone has problems that
require the advice of a lawyer. Since 1943 the Navy
has operated a legal assistance program under the
supervision of the Judge Advocate General. Through
this program all service personnel and their
dependents are able to seek free legal advice from
Navy lawyers who are members of the Navy Judge
Advocate General’s Corps. This assistance is
available to give you advice in connection with any
personal legal problem you might have. Navy
lawyers, however, cannot normally represent you in
civil court.
More than 200 Navy legal assistance offices are
located at commands throughout the world and
aboard large naval vessels. We cannot overemphasize
the importance of taking advantage of this service and
consulting a Navy lawyer before you make major
decisions that have legal implications. For example,
whenever you transfer, you may unintentionally
change your domicile or permanent legal home. This
change might affect your property ownership or
subject you to new state tax liabilities, automobile
registration, and driver’s license laws. It also may
affect distribution of your property if you die intestate
(without a will) or place some control over what you
may put in your will (in some states you cannot
“omit” your spouse). To avoid these problems, you
should make it a point to periodically discuss your
personal, legal, and financial affairs with your Navy
lawyer.
POWER OF ATTORNEY
A power of attorney is the formal written
appointment of another person to act as your agent. It
can be for a specific purpose (called a limited or
special power of attorney), or it can be for the general
transaction of your affairs (called a general power of
attorney). Even though your agent is limited to the
powers specifically written down in the document,
you should give a power of attorney only with caution
and only where absolutely necessary. For instance, if
you are in the process of buying or selling a house or
car, you may want to leave a special power of attorney
limited only to that purpose.
In years past, leaving a power of attorney with a
friend or relative to take care of contingencies that
might arise while a service member was deployed was
considered essential. Today, because of
improvements in communications and the wide
availability of Navy lawyers, we do not recommend
executing a power of attorney without a specific
reason. If your spouse must cash checks made out to
you, you can usually arrange to have the checks
deposited in a joint bank account or make prior
arrangements with the bank. Most documents
requiring your signature while you are away from
home can be sent to you to sign. Legal officers are
4-14
available to act as notary publics if the document
needs notarization. Few unforeseen emergency
situations will require your signature in less time than
that needed for someone to mail a document to you to
read, sign, and return.
In any event, before you give anyone a power of
attorney, be sure to consult a legal assistance officer.
You should be aware of all the legal effects of what
you are doing so that the document can be specially
tailored to fit your individual needs.
WILLS
Do not assume that if you are young or do not
have much property, you should not make a will. The
property of a person who dies without a will is
distributed according to state laws. In effect, the state
writes your will. By preparing a will, you have the
opportunity to dispose of your property and to take
care of your family the way you want.
Even though a will may look simple, it is not a
do-it-yourself document. Many factors affect the way
a will must be written to pass property exactly as you
want it. A lawyer is trained to recognize these factors.
A will should always be drafted to meet the particular
needs of each person. NEVER use blank or “fill-in”
will forms. Consult a legal assistance officer about
preparing a will that will be best for you.
YOUR MAILING ADDRESS
You will move around quite a bit during your
naval career. You may be aboard ships that spend
weeks at sea. Your mail will have enough necessary
delays without you making things worse by
inaccurate or delayed changes of address. You are
responsible for sending your correct mailing address
to correspondents, publishers of magazines, insurance
companies (regardless of whether premiums are paid
by allotment), and anyone with whom you have
business dealings. The post office has Notice of
Change of Address cards specifically for this purpose.
As soon as you receive your orders, start notifying
people of your new address. Notify your new duty
station so that mail arriving there is held for you.
After detachment, keep the old station informed of
your address so that mail arriving after you have gone
may be readdressed and forwarded.
Naval ships have unique postal ZIP Codes
addressed through a fleet post office (FPO) identified
by such codes as AE and AP. You can find out the
correct address for your new duty station in the
personnel office of your present station or at the
nearest Naval Reserve center. The publications
Standard Navy Distribution List, Parts 1 and 2, and
Catalog of Naval Shore Activities give the correct
mailing addresses for all Navy and Marine Corps
units. Consult these publications as needed.
Remember that security requirements may restrict
you from telling the location of your new address.
If you are assigned to a ship, your standard
address will be as follows:
Your grade and name
Name of ship and hull number
FPO* and ZIP Code
*FPO San Francisco (AP) and FPO Seattle (also
AP) serve Pacific Fleet units; FPO New York (AE)
and FPO Miami (AA) serve Atlantic Fleet units and
the Americas.
TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE
OF PERSONAL PROPERTY
The conditions and rules for transporting personal
property are somewhat complicated and vary with
different situations. Before making any arrangements
for shipping or storing your property, consult the
Personal Property Office nearest you.
ARRANGING FOR SHIPMENT OF YOUR
PERSONAL PROPERTY
Upon receipt of your orders, consult the Personal
Property Office nearest you. If you are unable to go
yourself, you may arrange for an agent to represent
you. However, be sure your agent is in receipt of a
power of attorney or letter of authority, signed by you,
authorizing arrangements for the shipment and/or
storage of your personal property. If necessary, you
can handle most of the details concerning these
arrangements by mail.
During your premove interview, your Personal
Property Office will request copies of your orders and
ask you to fill out an Application for Shipment of
Household Goods (DD Form 1299). This application
authorizes you to make shipments or place goods in
storage, either of which involves a cost of hundreds of
dollars to the government or you, depending on your
entitlement.
Weight allowances of household goods
authorized for storage/shipment at government
4-15
expense are based on your rank/grade on the effective
date of your orders and on the type of orders you
receive. For instance, on a permanent change of
station, an ensign without dependents is entitled to
ship 10,000 pounds of household goods; an ensign
with dependents is entitled to 12,000 pounds. (On a
temporary change of station, the allowance is 600
pounds.) In addition to the authorized weight
allowance, you may also ship professional books,
papers, and equipment at government expense,
provided you certify them to be necessary in the
performance of your official duties. Ordinarily, these
professional items will be shipped on the same
transportation documents as your household goods.
To prevent the weight of your professional items
being charged to your authorized household weight
allowance, ensure they are (1) separately packed and
weighed and (2) the weight is separately shown on all
shipping documents.
When your goods are picked up, be sure to check
the carrier’s inventory to see that it is accurate,
descriptive, and legible. Be sure you or your agent is
present to accept delivery of your goods. For
reference purposes as well as for filing a claim, if
necessary, keep your copies of the government bill of
lading, Statement of Accessorial Services (DD 619
and DD 619-1), Application for Shipment (DD 1299),
and Carriers Inventory.
If you will need certain items soon after reporting
to your new duty station, you may designate them for
delivery at your destination as unaccompanied
baggage or with your household goods. Discuss these
needs with the Personal Property Office.
When your property is delivered, be sure to note
loss or damage, if any, on both your copy and the
carrier’s copy of the inventory and DD 619-1. You
and the carrier will sign these documents after they
have been correctly annotated. These notations will
be required in supporting your claim for any loss and
damage that occur. Also, keep purchase receipts for
household items since they can help you establish the
value of lost or damaged property.
The Department of Defense has prepared the
pamphlet It’s Your Move to provide information on the
movement of household goods, mobile homes,
privately owned vehicles, and loss and damage claim
procedures. You may get this pamphlet at your
nearest Personal Property Office. In addition,
appendix IV of this text contains helpful hints for your
move.
SHIPMENTS AUTHORIZED BY
PERMANENT CHANGE OF
STATION ORDERS
If you have permanent change of station (PCS)
orders, you may ship your authorized weight
allowance of household goods between your old and
new permanent duty station. You may make
shipments from or to places other than your duty
stations. However, with some exceptions, you will be
limited (based on cost) to the cost of a regular
shipment between your old and new permanent duty
station. You are eligible for 90 days’ temporary
storage at government expense, incident to shipment.
In some cases, because of conditions beyond your
control, you may be eligible for an additional 90 days’
storage. You must submit a request for this additional
90 days in writing to the local transportation officer.
You must provide detailed justification in your
request. Your commanding officer can authorize
storage beyond 180 days in certain circumstances.
SPECIAL PRIVILEGES
Overseas duty, sea duty, and temporary duty
orders entitle you to special privileges. These
privileges are explained in the following paragraphs.
Overseas Duty
You may have your authorized PCS weight
allowance of household goods shipped to your
overseas station (if not in a restricted area and if you
have been granted entry approval) or to any selected
point in the United States. If your duty station is not
in a restricted area, shipment to a selected point
precludes further shipment under the same orders.
The transportation officer will explain to you what
special privileges are extended to you when military
restrictions apply at your new duty station. If you do
not wish your household goods shipped, have them
stored at government expense for the full time you are
overseas. Such nontemporary storage generally
precludes shipment under the same set of orders.
Sea Duty
If you receive PCS orders to duty aboard a ship,
you may have your household goods moved to the
home port of the ship or to any designated point
within CONUS not to exceed the cost of shipment to
the home port. If your orders indicate “unusually
arduous duty” or if the unit is listed in SECNAVINST
4-16
4650.19 or OPNAVINST 4600.16, cost of shipment to
a designated location is not limited to cost of
shipment to the home port.
If you do not wish your goods shipped, you may
have them placed in nontemporary storage for the
duration of your tour of sea duty. Suppose you
receive PCS orders in connection with the
reactivation, building, fitting out, or conversion of a
ship. You may ship household goods to the fitting out
or building point with the right of reshipment to the
ship’s ultimate home port incident to your receipt of
PCS orders to the ship when it is commissioned. This
privilege is not extended to temporary duty orders.
Temporary Duty Orders
Temporary duty orders, including temporary duty
at the Naval Academy, authorize you to ship your
temporary weight allowance of household goods.
You may ship them (1) from your permanent to your
temporary station; (2) between temporary stations; or
(3) from your last temporary station to your old
permanent station, provided a new permanent station
has not been assigned; otherwise, they will be shipped
to the new permanent station. If you receive
temporary orders in connection with the building,
fitting out, conversion, or reactivation of a ship and
your orders specify duty aboard that ship when it is
commissioned, you may have your permanent weight
allowance of household goods shipped to a designated
point within CONUS. However, the cost of shipment
to that point must not exceed the cost of shipment to
the building, fitting-out, conversion, or reactivation
point. That, though, precludes further shipment upon
commissioning of the ship and the assignment of a
home port and home yard. Temporary duty orders in
connection with building, fitting out, conversion, or
reactivation of a ship often involve only a short
period. Therefore, we recommend you place your
household goods in authorized nontemporary storage
at the point of origin pending shipment to the home
port or home yard when assigned. See your
transportation officer about your entitlement under
these types of orders.
CAUTION IN MOVING
If you have plans for buying a mobile home, make
NO shipments until you consult the nearest Personal
Property Office. One wrong shipment may prevent
your receiving any allowance for movement of your
mobile home. Also, before you buy, be certain the
size of your mobile home is within specified limits.
Some manufacturers advertise a mobile home to be 12
feet wide when it is actually 12 feet 1 inch wide. That
extra inch may mean transporting your trailer through
certain states is illegal.
Despite the best precautions, loss or damage to
your personal property may occur. If you have basis
for a claim, contact your transportation officer
promptly. The transportation officer will, if possible,
provide an inspector to verify the loss or damage and
assist you in making your claim.
At the time of your premove interview, be sure to
ask for detailed information on the following
subjects:
• Preference of carriers
• Requirements for movers at both origin and
destination
4-17
• Claims procedures for loss or damage
• Government claim coverage of $25,000 and
how the coverage compares to commercial
insurance
MOVE YOURSELF
You may move yourself within CONUS under the
Navy’s Move Yourself Program. This program is
commonly referred to as a DITY (do it yourself)
move. You may choose to use a rental truck or trailer
and packing materials obtained by the Personal
Property Office. You may also choose to use your
own trailer to move your property. The more you
know and understand about the program, the
smoother your move will be. Contact your Personal
Property Office for assistance in arranging for this
type of move.
 CHAPTER 5
CUSTOMS OF THE SERVICE
Naval customs and traditions play a significant
role in your career as a naval officer. You are
expected to pass on and perpetuate the more
venerated customs and traditions of the Navy. When
Navy customs and traditions are appreciated and
properly applied, they produce high ideals and esprit
de corps among members of the naval service.
NAVAL COURTESY
Knowledge of military courtesy is important to
everyone in the Navy. Whether or not you realize it,
you are practicing military courtesy all the time.
Knowing what to do at the right time can keep you
from encountering some embarrassing situations.
Navy personnel who know and practice naval
courtesy make good impressions and exude
self-assurance that will carry them through otherwise
difficult situations. Furthermore, all members of the
naval service observe these evidences of respect and
courtesy. The junior member always takes the
initiative, and the senior member returns the courtesy.
THE SALUTE
One of the essentials of military courtesy is the
hand salute. Regulations governing its use are
founded on military etiquette deeply rooted in
traditions and customs. Far from being a servile
gesture, the salute is a symbol of respect and a sign of
comradeship among service personnel. The salute is
part of the uniform and all that it represents.
Accordingly, as a standard practice, the junior starts
the salute, and the senior returns it. An admiral
returns the salute in the same form in which a seaman
gives it. By saluting first, a person demonstrates
respect for the senior rank, not inferiority, to the
person saluted.
MANNER OF SALUTING
Be precise and military as you salute. The
following rules apply to the hand salute:
• Give hand salutes, and other marks of respect
appropriate to rank, to officers of the armed
services of the United States in uniform (and in
5-1
civilian clothes, if recognized) and to
high-ranking dignitaries of foreign nations.
Salute the occupant of automobiles that display
the flag of a high-ranking dignitary.
• Keep your head and eyes turned toward the
person you are saluting. Execute the hand
salute as follows:
1. Raise your right hand smartly until the tip
of your forefinger touches the lower part of
your headgear, slightly to the right of your
right eye.
2. Keep your upper arm parallel to the ground.
3. Keep your thumb and fingers extended and
joined with your palm down.
4. Keep the tip of your middle finger to your
elbow in a straight line.
5. End the salute by dropping your hand down
to your side in one clean motion. Avoid
slapping your leg as you do so.
• Salute at a distance at which recognition is
easy, normally within 30 paces. Salute when
the person being saluted is about six paces
from you or at the nearest point of approach.
Hold the salute until the person saluted passes
you or returns your salute; then end the salute.
Accompany your salute with one of the
following greetings:
1. From first rising until noon—“Good
morning, . . . ”
2. From noon until sunset—“Good
afternoon, . . . ”
3. From sunset until turning in—“Good
evening, . . .”
• Salute only if you are at a halt or a walk. If
running, come to a walk before saluting.
• If seated and covered, rise and come to
attention before saluting.
• If you overtake and pass a senior, salute when
abreast of the senior and ask, “By your leave,
 sir/ma’am?” The senior returns the salute,
answering “Carry on” or “Very well.” Then
end the salute.
SALUTING ABOARD SHIP
The following rules pertain to saluting when you
board or leave a ship:
• When boarding a ship that is flying the national
ensign, stop on reaching the upper platform of
the accommodation ladder or the shipboard
end of the brow, face the national ensign, and
salute; then, salute the officer of the deck
(OOD).
• When leaving the ship, salute in reverse order;
first to the OOD and then to the national
ensign.
• When wearing civilian dress with a hat,
remove the hat when boarding and leaving a
ship.
• When boarding and leaving foreign ships, the
same rules apply as for American ships.
The following rules apply to saluting aboard ship:
• Aboard Navy ships juniors salute all flag
officers (officers above the grade of captain),
the commanding officer, and visiting officers
senior to themselves on every occasion of
meeting, passing near, or being addressed.
• On the first daily meeting, salute all senior
officers who are attached to the ship.
• Salute whenever addressing or being addressed
by seniors.
• Salute inspecting officers during official
inspections.
SALUTING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM
The following guidelines pertain to saluting the
national anthem:
• STAND AT ATTENTION.
• FACE THE APPROPRIATE DIRECTION AS
FOLLOWS:
1. Face the national ensign if displayed during
the playing of the national anthem.
5-2
2. Face the music when the national anthem is
played and the national ensign is not
displayed.
• SALUTE IN THE APPROPRIATE MANNER
AS FOLLOWS:
1. If in uniform and wearing the headgear,
salute at the first note of the anthem. End
the salute on the last note.
2. If not in uniform and wearing headgear,
remove the headgear at the first note of the
anthem; hold the headgear over the heart
until the last note of the anthem. (In
inclement weather, raising the headgear
slightly over the head is permitted.)
3. If not in uniform and not wearing headgear,
place the right hand over the heart.
4. If in an automobile and within sight of the
displaying of the national ensign or within
hearing distance when the national anthem
is played, stop the car and sit at attention.
Remain at attention until the last note of the
anthem is played or the display ceremony is
over.
HEADGEAR
Your headgear (cap—sometimes referred to as a
hat or cover) is an integral part of your uniform. The
following guidelines from Navy Uniform
Regulations, NAVPERS 15665, apply to the wearing
of headgear:
• GENERAL
1. You need not wear uniform headgear on
ships at sea outside harbor limits, except on specific
watches specified by the commanding officer. The
commanding officer may also specify the wearing of
headgear at sea on ceremonial occasions.
2. Wear uniform headgear in port, unless
prevented by safety precautions.
3. Outdoors, remain covered at all times
except during a religious service not associated with a
military ceremony or unless ordered to uncover.
Remain covered during invocations or other religious
military ceremonies such as changes of command,
ships’ commissionings and launchings, and military
burials. Chaplains conducting religious ceremonies
will guide participants following the customs of the
church.
 4. Normally remove headgear indoors. When
in a duty status and wearing side arms or a pistol belt,
remove headgear indoors only when entering dining
areas or areas where religious services are being
conducted.
• SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
1. Remove your cap or hat when traveling
inside a private automobile off base. A cap is
mandatory when entering or within a military
reservation, unless wearing the cap is impractical or
hazardous.
2. Navy blue earmuffs are authorized for
optional wear with service and working uniforms
when outer garments are worn.
HANDSHAKE
Shake hands upon being introduced or saying
good-bye. It is unforgivable not to accept an extended
hand. If seated, rise when introduced to anyone and
upon the departure of anyone. Normally, the senior
officer makes the first move in handshaking. Your
handshake should be firm and confident. Look the
individual with whom you are shaking hands directly
in the eye.
FORMS OF ADDRESS
Use the following guidelines when introducing
and addressing naval personnel:
• In written communications, show the name of
the corps to which any staff corps officer belongs
immediately following the officer’s name.
• Address a senior by title and name, such as
“Commander Doe” or “Lieutenant Wilson,” rather
than the impersonal “sir” or “ma’am.” Address two
or more officers of the same rank and sex as
“gentlemen” or “ladies.”
• Aboard ship, address the commanding officer
as “captain” regardless of the grade. Address the
executive officer (if of the grade of commander) as
“XO.”
• Because many people are not familiar with
Navy grade insignia and corps devices, make any
introduction, however brief, reasonably informative.
Use titles when introducing naval officers to civilians.
For example, “This is Lieutenant Door of the Navy
Nurse Corps” or “This is Lieutenant Commander
Pistol, on duty with the Navy Department.”
5-3
• When introducing officers who are married,
introduce the senior officer first: “This is
Commander Jane Doe and her husband Lieutenant
Commander John Doe.” If the woman officer has
chosen to retain her maiden name for professional
purposes, you should introduce them as “Commander
Mary Christmas and her husband Lieutenant
Commander Jon Boate.”
Table 5-1 is a matrix showing both military and
civilian forms of how to introduce and address naval
personnel.
RELATIONS BETWEEN SENIOR
OFFICERS AND JUNIOR OFFICERS
The twin foundations of military courtesy among
officers are precedence and deference to seniors.
Officers take precedence according to their grade.
This precedence encompasses military relationships
on board ship and ashore, in messes, in clubs, and in
social life.
Naval courtesy requires that junior officers give
their seniors the esteem and respect a polite society
expects its younger people to give their elders. Naval
courtesy also prescribes that seniors shall, with equal
attention, acknowledge and respond to these
demonstrations of respect required of juniors.
Adhere to the following guidelines when dealing
with seniors:
• Maintain an attitude of military attention when
approaching a senior officer to make an official report
or request. Do not take a seat or otherwise relax until
invited to do so by the senior.
• A senior sends “compliments” to a junior; the
junior sends “respects.” In written correspondence
the senior may “call” attention but the junior may
only “invite” it. When submitting a solution to a
particular problem, the senior “suggests” while the
junior “recommends.” Similarly, a senior “directs” a
junior while a junior “requests” action of a senior.
• Unless on watch, uncover upon entering a
room in which a senior is present.
• If seated, rise and remain at attention when
addressed by a senior. Remain seated if at work, at
games, or at mess when an officer, other than a flag
officer or the captain of the ship, passes, unless called
to attention or when necessary to clear a way.
 Table 5-1.—Introducing and Addressing Naval Personnel

PERSON TO MILITARY TO CIVILIAN

ADDRESSED OR
INTRODUCED
INTRODUCE AS: ADDRESS AS: INTRODUCE AS: ADDRESS AS:
1
COMMANDER or COMMANDER (or COMMANDER (or COMMANDER COMMANDER (or
above appropriate rank) appropriate rank) (or appropriate appropriate rank)
DOE DOE rank) DOE DOE
LIEUTENANT LIEUTENANT COMMANDER2 LIEUTENANT MR. (Mrs., Miss,
COMMANDER or COMMANDER (or DOE COMMANDER3 Ms.) DOE
below appropriate rank) DOE
DOE
MEDICAL and/or DR. DOE4 DR. DOE4 LIEUTENANT DR. DOE4
DENTAL CORPS DOE OF THE
OFFICER NAVY MEDICAL
CORPS
CHAPLAIN CHAPLAIN DOE CHAPLAIN DOE CHAPLAIN DOE CHAPLAIN
CORPS OFFICER
NAVY NURSE COMMANDER(or COMMANDER COMMANDER COMMANDER
CORPS OFFICER appropriate rank) DOE DOE OF THE (Mr., Mrs., Miss,
DOE NAVY NURSE Ms.) DOE
CORPS
CHIEF CHIEF CHIEF OFFICER DOE CHIEF
WARRANT WARRANT WARRANT WARRANT
OFFICER OFFICER DOE OFFICER DOE
MIDSHIPMAN MIDSHIPMAN MIDSHIPMAN MIDSHIPMAN MR. (Miss, Ms.)
DOE DOE DOE DOE
CHIEF PETTY CHIEF5 DOE CHIEF or CHIEF CHIEF YEOMAN5 MR. (Mrs., Miss,
OFFICER DOE5 (or rating title) Ms.) DOE
DOE
AVIATION AVIATION MR. DOE AVIATION MR. (Mrs., Miss,
CADET CADET DOE CADET DOE Ms.) DOE
PETTY OFFICER PETTY OFFICER PETTY OFFICER PETTY OFFICER MR. (Mrs., Miss,
DOE DOE DOE Ms.) DOE
SEAMAN SEAMAN DOE DOE SEAMAN DOE MR. (Mrs., Miss,
Ms.) DOE
1. When not in uniform a captain or lieutenant would be introduced as “of the Navy” to distinguish the grade from other services.

2. When addressing an officer whose grade includes a modifier (e.g., Lieutenant Commander) the modifier may be dropped.

3. A suggested form of introduction is: “This is LCDR Doe. Mr. (Mrs., Miss, Ms.) Doe is now stationed here.” This introduction
indicates both (a) the officer’s grade and (b) the form of address.

4. If a senior officer of the Medical or Dental Corps prefers to be addressed by title, such preference should be honored.

5. Prefixed by “Senior” or “Master” as appropriate.

5-4
 • The place of honor is to the right. Accordingly,
take a position to the left side when walking, riding, or
sitting with a senior. When aboard ship, take an
inboard position to a senior. The custom of the
“right-hand rule” is quaintly expressed by George
Washington in his 30th Rule of Civility: “In walking,
the highest place in most countries seems to be on the
right hand; therefore, place yourself on the left of him
who you desire to honor.”
• When entering an automobile or a boat,
officers do so in inverse order of grade. For example,
a lieutenant and a captain getting into an automobile
enter in that order, with the lieutenant taking the seat
on the far side. When getting out, the captain leaves
first. In entering buildings or rooms, however, the
junior opens doors for the senior and enters last.
• At parties, try not to leave before the captain.
If you must leave, pay your respects to the captain
before leaving.
• Avoid keeping a senior waiting. Normal
courtesy aside, punctuality is essential in the naval
service. When called by a senior, you should respond
immediately.
• In replying to questions from a senior, avoid
embarrassment by giving complete and explicit
answers. If you cannot supply the desired
information, give a response such as “I do not
know . . . , but I will find out and let you know.” That
is much better than an indirect answer that conveys
misinformation on which a senior may be basing an
important decision. Admitting you do not know the
answer is more prudent than giving evasive
statements that may seriously affect your reputation
and confuse the issue.
• When ordered to do an assigned task, report
back promptly to the senior (1) that you have
completed the task or (2) what you have done toward
completing the task.
• When a senior gives you an order, make sure
you understand what the senior expects of you and
when it should be completed. Do not hesitate to ask
questions to clarify these points. Once they are clear,
however, do not ask how to do the job. Study the task;
if you need advice, turn to a fellow officer. Ask the
advice of the person who gives you an order only
when you have no other alternative. Try to anticipate
the wishes of your senior whenever possible.
5-5
• Only one response to an oral order is
proper—“Aye, aye, sir/ma’am.” This reply means
more than “yes.” It means that “I understand and will
obey.” Responses to an order such as “all right,
sir/ma’am” and “O.K., sir/ma’am” are improper.
“Very well” is proper when spoken by a senior in
acknowledgement of a report made by a junior.
• Never jump the chain of command. In other
words, do not consult anyone higher in the chain of
command than your immediate superior, unless your
superior gives you the authority to do so.
RELATIONS BETWEEN OFFICERS
AND ENLISTED PERSONNEL
By virtue of your commission, you will be in
charge of enlisted personnel. Base your relations with
them on a foundation of mutual respect. Most
enlisted personnel are intelligent, cooperative, and
ambitious. They want to be treated as adults whose
abilities are appreciated. Enlisted personnel want to
respect their officers—to admire them and to be able
to boast about them to those aboard other ships. The
following points will help you establish good
relationships with your subordinates:
• Cultivate a climate of personal dignity between
yourself and your subordinates. That will enable you
to converse with them about casual and unofficial
matters and yet maintain that reserve which
discourages undue familiarity.
• Be considerate. Show your subordinates you
care for their welfare. For example, if you require some
of your people to work through the noon meal, make
sure you have hot meals saved for them. A good officer
always considers the welfare of enlisted personnel.
• Don’t go too far with promoting friendliness
between yourself and your people, such as calling
them by their first names or by their nicknames.
Address enlisted personnel by their correct title. Do
not allow enlisted personnel to visit you in your room
or the wardroom for reasons other than business.
Financial transactions between you and enlisted
members are forbidden by Navy regulations.
• Enlisted mess management personnel are in
charge of the wardroom pantries, the galley, and
officers’ rooms. Since they are constantly in close
contact with officers and have frequent occasion to be
in the wardroom and in officers’ rooms, you may
become too familiar with them, or, perhaps at times,
to be curt with them. Be tactful in your dealings with
mess management personnel. If you feel that a
complaint is in order or disciplinary action is
necessary, deal directly with the mess caterer who has
charge of the mess management specialists.
In summary, base your relations with enlisted
personnel upon the same mutual respect as you base
you relations with your fellow officers. The measure
of respect you inspire in your enlisted personnel is
your measure of success as an officer. You can earn
this respect by exhibiting the following
characteristics:
• A sincere concern for your responsibilities
• A fair sense of justice
• Interest and concern for your crew’s welfare
• Dignity and bearing
• Firmness and consistency in requiring
obedience to your orders and those of your
superiors
• An interest in, and knowledge of, your
profession
SUGGESTIONS FOR JUNIOR
OFFICERS
The following suggestions will assist you in
becoming a respected naval officer and help you get
along with others:
• Do not offer excuses for failure or negligence.
Assume responsibility and do not depend on alibis.
Freely accept the blame if the failure is yours.
• Remember your responsibilities. Trying to be
a “nice guy” will sooner or later cause you grief.
Holding a liberty boat for a fellow officer who is late
is an example. Your executive officer will not accept
your doing a favor for a fellow officer as a reason for
not following an approved boat schedule.
• When you receive orders that involve your
subordinates, ensure the orders are promptly and
smartly executed. Trust your people, but check to
make sure actions are proper and timely. Never
apologize for, or question, orders in front of your
subordinates. If you have a problem with orders,
consult your senior.
5-6
• Avoid complaining. If you have something to
complain about, do something to rectify the situation
or keep quiet.
• A cheery greeting and a smile will motivate
your juniors and help your seniors get started with
their day.
• Gambling, drinking, and drug abuse afloat are
general court-martial offenses. The Navy does not
tolerate drug abuse. Using drugs will result in your
dismissal from the service either by administrative
discharge or by court-martial. If you refuse urinalysis
you are subject to disciplinary action and
court-martial. Possession of drugs is a federal
offense. You have sworn to uphold the Constitution
and the laws deriving from it. If someone else is using
a drug, leave. Report the incident via your chain of
command to your commanding officer (CO) as soon
as possible. If you do not, and it comes to the
attention of your CO by other means, you will be in
trouble for failing to report a crime. Protect yourself;
report the offense as quickly as possible. The person
who abuses drugs in your presence has no concern for
your welfare and deserves no consideration.
ORDERS AND COMMANDS
What is the difference between an order and a
command?
An order gives you a job to do and leaves the
manner of accomplishing it up to you. Orders do not
always specify completion times, but do frequently
set time limits.
A command directs a specific action, without
alternatives. For example, if a senior tells you to
report to the division office at 0800, that’s a
command. On the other and, if a senior tells you to
have a certain report prepared by the end of the week,
that’s an order.
Naval custom, tradition, and common sense
suggest you regard a senior’s “wish” or “desire” as an
order.
WARDROOM ETIQUETTE
The term mess applies to those members of the
naval service who, for convenience and sociability,
eat together. It comes from the Latin word mensa,
meaning table. Officers entitled to the privileges of
the wardroom are members of the wardroom mess.
 In some large ships, junior officers are members
of the junior officer’s wardroom mess (the JO mess).
Also, in many large ships, the commanding officer
(CO) has a private mess, and the executive officer is
the president of the wardroom mess. In small ships
the CO is a member of the wardroom mess and is
usually the president.
The senior officer of the mess will welcome
junior officers and treat them as full-fledged members
of the mess in every respect. Nevertheless, junior
officers should not be too forward in conversation or
action.
The officer’s mess has a mess fund to purchase
food and supplies. All officers must contribute their
share (the per-person value of the mess on the last day
of the preceding month) and pay their mess bill (the
anticipated cost of the current month) within 24 hours
of joining the mess. The mess treasurer administers
the mess fund.
The wardroom is your mess and lounge room.
Help to make it as pleasant a place to live as your own
home. It is also your club, where you may gather with
your fellow officers for moments of relaxation, to
discuss daily problems, or to share a cup of coffee.
The wardroom is out of bounds to enlisted
personnel except in special circumstances. Conduct
division and other business in your division spaces.
The following guidelines will help you observe
proper wardroom etiquette:
1. Don’t enter or lounge in the wardroom out of
uniform.
2. Except at breakfast, don’t sit down to meals
before the presiding officer does.
3. If you must leave before completion of the
meal, ask to be excused.
4. Never be late for meals. If you are
unavoidably late, make your apologies to the
presiding officer.
5. Avoid wearing your cap in the wardroom;
especially if others are eating.
6. Avoid being boisterous or noisy.
7. Introduce your guests to wardroom officers.
Be friendly and sociable to every guest.
8. Don’t continuously talk shop.
9. Pay mess bills promptly.
5-7
BOAT ETIQUETTE
The following guidelines will help you conform
to proper boat etiquette:
• Unless otherwise directed by the senior officer
present, junior officers enter boats first and
leave boats last.
• If it’s safe to do so, stand and salute when a
senior enters or leaves a boat.
• When a senior officer is present, do not sit in
the stern seats unless asked to do so.
• Seniors rate the most desirable seats.
• Always offer a seat to a senior.
• Get into the boat at least a minute before the
boat gong or whenever the officer of the deck
says the boat is ready. Do not make a
last-second dash down the gangway.
• If a boat is crowded, juniors should take the
next boat.
• Provide room in the boat for seniors to move
about.
• Do not board over another boat (using the
thwarts, gunwales, and decking of another boat
as a walkway) without permission; do not ask
permission unless it’s unavoidable.
A member of the naval service wishing to visit a
ship anchored out should obtain permission at the
landing to use one of the ship’s boats. If no officer is
aboard, ask permission from the coxswain.
CONDUCT IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES
When ashore in foreign countries, remember that
your conduct will be representative of the conduct of
all members of the United States naval service.
Conscientiously respect the laws and customs of any
foreign country. Infractions of a seemingly
unimportant nature, even though committed
unwittingly, may arouse resentment and result in
serious complications. Do not enter into an
altercation or argument with anyone abroad. In case
of trouble, refer the matter to the appropriate U.S.
naval authority in the area. If senior naval guidance is
not available, consult a consular officer or a
diplomatic representative of the United States.
In addition, as a representative of the Navy, try to
give every courtesy to visitors aboard your ship.
Their impression of the Navy will be the one you give
them.
OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE
In general, any matter that might have a bearing
on the official business of a command will be referred
by officers to their commanding officer through their
chain of command.
If you make any official communication to a
superior authority other than your commanding
officer, except as provided for in United States Navy
Regulations, 1990, ensure the communication is sent
through your commanding officer.
Use your grade, full name, branch of service,
military personnel identification number (Social
Security number), and designator in all official
correspondence to clarify your identification.
EXAMPLE:
From: ENS Jane B. Doe, USN,
777-77-7777/1110
To: Chief of Naval Personnel
(Pers-313D3),
Washington, DC 20370-5000
Via: Commanding Officer, Naval
Education
and Training Program Management
Support Activity, Pensacola, FL
32509-5000
If your subordinates forward communications to
higher authority through you, make sure you take
prompt action and forward the correspondence up the
chain of command. Do not delay official
correspondence involving a naval member to ensure
letter perfection. Promptness should take priority
over neatness.
Refer to the Navy Correspondence Manual,
SECNAVINST 5216.5, and to the Navy Military
Personnel Manual, article 5410160, for more
information about official correspondence.
UNIFORMS
Historically, uniforms have been the product of a
sailor’s surroundings: physical, geographical, and
technical. Uniforms were first provided for
protection against the elements or to create distinction
among specialists in a growing Navy. Foremost,
however, was an element of simplicity providing a
uniform that would not interfere with the sailor’s
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everyday tasks. Women’s uniforms, on the other
hand, were originally designed to duplicate civilian
fashion trends.
Today’s Navy has narrowed the gap between
men’s and women’s career paths. Women now
perform many of the same tasks and have the same
specialties as their male counterparts. These changes
required a more definitive policy to bring the
uniforms of both men and women more closely in line
with each other. Navy uniforms are distinctive visual
evidence of the authority and responsibility vested in
their wearer by the United States.
PRESCRIBING AUTHORITIES
Naval area coordinators are the prescribing
authorities responsible for issuing and controlling
uniform policy within the geographic limits of their
assigned region. The senior officer present is
responsible for uniform policy afloat.
Prescribing authorities select uniforms; the
individual does not. Normally, only one uniform of
the day is authorized for wear at a given time and
location.
BUYING UNIFORMS
Officers are responsible for buying and
maintaining uniforms appropriate to their assigned
duties. Refer to U.S. Navy Uniform Regulations,
NAVPERS 15665, for a listing of the major items of
uniform clothing normally prescribed for officers.
Most Navy Exchanges have a uniform shop
where you can purchase uniforms. In addition, many
cities have reputable uniform tailors. The U.S. Naval
Uniform Shop in Norfolk, Virginia will supply
uniforms by mail or phone through their mail order
center. The mailing address of the uniform shop is:
Uniform Support Center, 1545 Crossways Blvd.,
Suite 200, Chesapeake, VA 23320. The toll-free
telephone numbers of the shop are as follows:
• Continental United States (CONUS):
Toll free 1-800-368-4088
• Alaska, Hawaii, Virgin Islands, and Puerto
Rico:
1-800-368-4089
• Overseas:
Defense Switched Network (DSN) 680-8586
TRAVELING IN UNIFORM
When traveling in uniform, wear the prescribed
uniform for the area to which you are traveling. If you
cannot determine the prescribed uniform, wear the
Service Dress Blue uniform. This uniform is accepted
worldwide in all seasons as a travel uniform. Under
certain circumstances, you may not be permitted to
perform international travel overseas in uniform.
Consult your personnel officer for the proper uniform
or civilian attire to wear when performing
international travel.
GROOMING STANDARDS
A sharp uniform looks tacky on an officer who
does not meet proper grooming standards. Your
uniform is only a part of your overall personal
appearance. Don’t degrade the uniform with sloppy
grooming standards. For the most part, the Navy’s
grooming standards haven’t changed recently.
However, sometimes they sound new when you are
reminded of them. Listed below are excerpts from
Navy grooming standards:
• Men’s hair is to be tapered. Hair above the ears
and around the neck shall be tapered from the lower
hairline upwards at least three-fourths inch and
outward not greater than three-fourths inch to blend
with hairstyle. The length of hair can be no longer
than 4 inches, and the bulk of the hair cannot be more
than 2 inches thick. Hair cannot touch the shirt collar.
Faddish, multicolored hair is not authorized.
• The maximum width allowed for a mustache is
one-quarter inch beyond the corners of the mouth.
The mustache cannot extend below the upper lip line
or below an imaginary line through the corners of the
mouth. Mustache hair cannot be longer than one-half
of an inch in length. Beards are not authorized
without a temporary medical waiver approved by the
commanding officer.
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• Sideburns are to be of an even width and no
longer than the lower point of the ear lobe.
• Women’s hair is not to extend beyond the lower
edge of the shirt collar. Hair is not to be visible under
the front of any headgear, except the beret. The front
of the hair cannot be lower than the eyebrows with
your headgear removed. Rubber bands, pins, and
combs must be inconspicuous. No more than two
barrettes can be used, and the color must match the
color of the hair. The bulk of the hair cannot be more
than 2 inches thick. Faddish, multicolored hair is not
authorized.
• Women may not wear ponytails or pigtails. A
maximum of two braids, neatly secured at all points to
the head are authorized.
• Jewelry, for both men and women, can include
one ring per hand, plus a wedding ring (or wedding
ring set). A necklace can be worn if it is not visible. A
total of one wristwatch and one bracelet can be worn.
No ankle bracelets are authorized.
• Women officers may only wear 6-mm matte
gold, ball-type earrings. Earrings are not authorized
for men while in uniform. Additionally men may not
wear earrings with civilian attire when in a duty status
or while aboard any ship, craft, aircraft, in any
military vehicle, or within any base or other place
under military jurisdiction or while participating in
any organized military recreational activities.
• Fingernails for men must be even with the
fingertip. Fingernails for women cannot be longer
than one-fourth inch from the fingertip.
• Cosmetics and fingernail polish for women
must be conservative and complement the woman’s
skin tone.
 CHAPTER 6
PROGRAMS AND POLICIES
The Navy’s most important resource is people.
One of your primary responsibilities as an officer is to
use this resource to its maximum potential. Many
problems can arise that will degrade a person’s
performance. The Navy provides a wide variety of
programs and policies developed specifically to help
Navy members to improve themselves and to assist
them to overcome personal, professional, or family
problems. Knowledge of these programs will enable
you to better care for your people. This chapter
provides an overview of major Navy programs and
policies.
CORE VALUES
The Navy implemented core values to promote
personal excellence by developing commitment to a
core set of Navy traditions and values that are in
consonance with our national values. To determine
just what these values should be, the Navy conducted
an extensive review in 1987. More than 100 sailors
representing all communities, fleets, and many
positions within the chain of command were
individually interviewed. In these interviews sailors
were asked to do the following:
• Describe “tough situations” that posed values,
conflicts, or ethics dilemmas
• Characterize those persons they admired most
and least in the Navy
• Discuss in very real terms the values that the
Navy represents
As you can imagine, these interviews produced
many enlightening accounts and personal insights.
The values most often portrayed in everyday
decision-making and felt to be most important to the
Navy are as follows:
• TRADITION
—Concern for people
—Patriotism
—Courage
—Spiritual heritage
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• INTEGRITY
—Honesty
—Honor
—Responsibility
• PROFESSIONALISM
—Competence
—Teamwork
—Loyalty
The expected outcome of these core values is to
refocus and reemphasize traditional Navy values by
all personnel and to improve the ethical practices of
the Navy.
NAVY LEADER DEVELOPMENT
The mission of the Navy Leader Development
(NAVLEAD) Program is to provide continuing leader
development to (1) maintain a proper balance
between an individual’s leader and technical
development, (2) to revitalize leadership at every
level of the chain of command, and (3) to increase the
number of personnel who receive formal leadership
training.
The NAVLEAD courses are mandatory for E-6
and E-7 personnel to be eligible for advancement to
the next higher paygrade.
NAVY ENLISTED ADVANCEMENT
SYSTEM
The objective of the enlisted advancement system
is to provide qualified petty officers to operate the
Navy’s ships, squadrons, and stations. Advancements
also provide the opportunity for the orderly
progression of qualified enlisted personnel to higher
levels of responsibility throughout their naval careers.
The concept of the enlisted advancement system is as
follows:
• General apprenticeship paygrades E-2 and E-3.
Commanding officers have the authority to advance
qualified personnel to paygrades E-2 and E-3 without
numerical limitations. Examinations for paygrade
E-3 are available from the Naval Education and
Training Program Management Support Activity
(NETPMSA) in Pensacola, Florida. Apprenticeship
examinations are graded by the administering
command. There are no examinations for paygrade
E-2.
• Paygrades E-4 through E-9. Enlisted personnel
competing for paygrades E-4 through E-7 must take
the fleetwide advancement-in-rate examination
developed by NETPMSA and administered by
examining boards located at the various ships and
shore activities. NETPMSA grades E-4 through E-7
examinations. Eligible personnel are advanced to E-4
through E-6 to fill Navywide vacancies on the basis of
their final multiple score consisting of factors such as
examination scores, length of service, awards, and
performance evaluation marks. There are no
examinations for E-8 and E-9 personnel.
Advancement to paygrades E-7 through E-8 is
accomplished by selection boards convened annually
by the Chief of Naval Personnel.
Special programs provide other methods of
advancement or change in rating. For more
information on the Navy Advancement System, refer
to the Advancement Manual, BUPERSINST 1430.16.
COMMAND MANAGED EQUAL
OPPORTUNITY (CMEO)
The Department of the Navy’s equal opportunity
policy provides equal treatment and opportunity to all
Navy members. This policy is carried out without
regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, or national
origin.
The Command Managed Equal Opportunity
(CMEO) Program assists commands in supporting the
Navy’s equal opportunity (EO) policy. It is a
management system that is responsive to higher
echelons but controlled primarily at the command
level. The four basic elements of the program areas
are as follows:
• Command training team (CTT). The CTT
conducts the Navy Rights and Responsibilities
(NR&R) Workshops. These workshops present
training on equal opportunity principles and policies,
sexual harassment prevention, and command-specific
issues.
• Command assessment team (CAT). The CAT
conducts the annual command assessment. This
6-2
assessment focuses on equal opportunity personnel
management practices. It also reveals problems or
issues not directly related to equal opportunity that
impact on the quality of life within the command. The
command assessment also collects data on retention,
advancement, and discipline. The CAT obtains
additional data from interviews, observations, and
surveys.
• Action planning. Once the command identifies
issues, it needs a systematic approach to address these
problems. The CAT defines and analyzes the problem
and recommends courses of action. The selected
courses of action are then developed into a plan of
action and milestones (POA&M).
• Inspections. Immediate superiors in command
(ISIC) inspect each command’s equal opportunity
program as a special interest item during subordinate
command inspections. They conduct these
inspections as part of the Naval Command Inspection
Program.
Another important program used to promote
equal opportunity in the Navy is the Navy Affirmative
Action Program (NAAP). The NAAP is a continuing
program of goals and actions with realistic
milestones. Affirmative action consists of the
positive steps the Navy must take to correct or
eliminate discrimination over a certain period.
Therefore, as specific actions are completed, they
require continued monitoring to ensure the Navy does
not regress. The NAAP is revised as appropriate after
each annual equal opportunity assessment.
Equal opportunity is essential to Navy leadership.
It must exist at every level of the chain of command.
It is an integral part of the Navy’s commitment to
pride, professionalism, and personal excellence.
Equal opportunity improves the quality of life for all
Navy personnel, increases combat readiness, and
contributes to mission accomplishment. To be an
effective officer, you must set an example in equal
opportunity for your subordinates to follow. Refer to
OPNAVINST 5354.1 for more information on the
Navy’s policy on equal opportunity.
FRATERNIZATION
The Navy depends upon custom and tradition to
define the bounds of acceptable personal relationships
among its members. Proper social interaction among
officer and enlisted members is encouraged as it
enhances unit morale and esprit de corps. At the same
time, unduly familiar personal relationships between
officers and enlisted members are contrary to naval
custom. They undermine the respect for authority that
is essential to the Navy’s ability to accomplish its
military mission.
Over 200 years of seagoing experience has
demonstrated that seniors must maintain thoroughly
professional relationships with juniors at all times.
This custom helps prevent seniors from using (or
giving the impression of using) their positions to
show favoritism or preferential treatment or for
personal gain. It also helps prevent seniors from
becoming involved in other actions that undermine
good order, discipline, authority, or high unit morale.
Custom requires that junior personnel recognize and
respect the authority inherent in a senior’s grade,
rank, or position.
Fraternization is any unduly familiar personal
relationship that does not respect differences in rank
and grade between an officer and an enlisted member.
It also includes senior-subordinate supervisory
relationships between officers and between enlisted
personnel.
The Uniform Code of Military Justice provides
for punishment when fraternization is prejudicial to
good order and discipline or brings discredit to the
naval service. We cannot name every act that may be
classified as fraternization. The surrounding
circumstances often have more to do with making the
act criminal than the act itself. However, dating,
cohabitation, or sexual intimacy between officer and
enlisted members is clearly inappropriate. A private
business partnership between an officer and enlisted
member is also inappropriate. Likewise, such
conduct between officers and between enlisted
members when a senior-subordinate supervisory
relationship exists is equally inappropriate. Conduct
that constitutes fraternization is not excused by a
subsequent marriage between the offending parties.
The responsibility for preventing inappropriate
relationships rests primarily on the senior. The senior
is expected to control and prevent the development of
inappropriate senior-subordinate relationships.
However, since the Navy’s fraternization policy
applies to both seniors and juniors, both are
accountable for their conduct. OPNAVINST 5370.2
contains additional information on fraternization.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT
Sexual harassment is not an amusing or trivial
issue. It negatively affects the morale and
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productivity of service members and results in
negative consequences for team building and mission
accomplishment. It may also be a violation of many
articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The
Navy’s Equal Opportunity Manual defines sexual
harassment as the following:
Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for
sexual favors, and other verbal or physical
conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual
harassment when (1) submission to such
conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly
a term or condition of a person’s job, pay, or
career; (2) submission to or rejection of such
conduct by a person is used as a basis for
career or employment decisions affecting the
person; or (3) such conduct has the purpose or
effect of interfering with an individual’s
performance or creating an intimidating,
hostile, or offensive environment.
The Navy’s long tradition of military
professionalism results from positive, aggressive
leadership and its history of taking care of all Navy
members. Commanders, supervisors, and
subordinates are all responsible to provide an
environment free from sexual harassment. That
includes refraining from practicing prohibitive
behavior and actively countering and reporting such
actions promptly. Refer to SECNAVINST 5300.26
and OPNAVINST 5300.9 for more information on
sexual harassment.
FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAM
The mission of the Family Support Program is to
increase the Navy’s awareness of, and access to,
useful and reliable information, resources, and
services that support and enrich the lives of Navy
families as well as single members. The Family
Support Program includes three primary branches:
(1) Family Services, (2) Overseas Duty Support, and
(3) Family Advocacy.
FAMILY SERVICES
The Family Services branch is a worldwide
network of Family Services Centers (FSCs). These
centers offer a wide range of services. The following
are some of the services offered at an FSC:
• Family, marriage, personal, and child
counseling
• Pre/during/post deployment programs
 • Employment assistance for spouses
• Health benefits assistance
• Financial management
• Relocation assistance
• Assistance in transition to civilian life
FSCs offer many more services. Contact your
local FSC for details about these services.
OVERSEAS DUTY SUPPORT PROGRAM
The Overseas Duty Support Program (ODSP)
helps Navy personnel and their families deal with
various overseas cultures. Three major goals of
ODSP are as follows:
• To provide training in cross-cultural relations
• To supply information through publications,
video tapes, and direct personal assistance
• To operate a telephone hotline known as the
Overseas Transfer Information Service (OTIS)
The mission of the ODSP is to help you be more
effective in your job, to help you adjust to your tour of
duty, and to help you enjoy visits to foreign ports.
FAMILY ADVOCACY PROGRAM
The Family Advocacy Program (FAP) is designed
to address prevention, identification, evaluation,
treatment, reporting, and follow-up on reported
abusive situations.
FAP services provide commands with resources
in dealing with the following types of situations:
• Physical abuse
• Physical neglect
• Sexual abuse (incest, assault, or rape)
SINGLE PARENTING
Single parents are fully responsible for providing
care for their children so that it doesn’t interfere with
their professional on-the-job requirements. The
demands of the Navy lifestyle makes single parenting
rough. But by taking full advantage of the resources
available, single parents can make their lives, and
their children’s lives, more rewarding and less
stressful.
6-4
Navy single parents have more help available to
them than ever before because of Family Services
Center programs and expanding child care options.
Family Services Centers provide information,
referral, educational, and counseling services
designed to assist single parents and their children.
Child care is always a big concern—and often a
big headache for single parents. The capacity of
Navy-operated child care facilities is not always
sufficient for the number of children eligible to use
them.
The Family Home Care (FHC) Program allows
spouses to care for children of Navy personnel in their
government quarters. FHC is in operation at most
commands in the United States and overseas. To open
their home for day care, people must complete
training that includes CPR instruction. Child care
providers under the FHC program must purchase
insurance, which is available through the Bureau of
Naval Personnel (BUPERS) at a nominal fee. A
professional monitor ensures the child care offered is
of the highest quality by providing training, screening
and background checks, and monthly visits to FHC
homes.
All single parents must provide a plan for
dependent care arrangements. The plan must state
who will provide care for children during normal duty
hours and when the parent is absent because of
temporary additional duty (TAD) or normal
deployments. The plan must also include a will with
guardianship provisions, a power of attorney
authorizing medical care, and other pertinent
information. The Naval Military Personnel Manual,
article 3810190, outlines the dependent care policy. It
tells what information must be on a Navy dependent
care certificate, which is required to be in a single
parent’s service record.
Some people worry that their status as single
parents may hurt their Navy career, but that is simply
not true. As long as single parents keep an up-to-date
dependent care plan in their record, what they can
achieve has no limits.
Single parenthood in the Navy isn’t easy, but an
understanding of Navy policy can help a single
parent’s career run smoothly.
NAVY WIFELINE ASSOCIATION
The Navy Wifeline Association (NWA) is an
informational and educational organization
established by and for Navy spouses. Every Navy
spouse is automatically a member of the NWA with no
registration requirement or membership fee.
NWA solicits views, shares solutions, and
supplies information about military life to help
spouses cope with changing environments,
separations from loved ones, and shifting roles of
responsibility. By serving as a point of contact for
military spouses, the association enables spouses to
join together and help each other, which fosters a
sense of belonging.
The NWA can help spouses find the right source
of help in time of need. The NWA has a variety of
informational pamphlets available to spouses. For
information, write NWA, Washington Navy Yard,
Bldg. 172, Washington, DC 20374. You can reach
the NWA by phoning commercial: 202-433-2333 or
Defense Switched Network (DSN): 288-2333.
HEALTH AND PHYSICAL READINESS
People in the Navy and people in the civilian
community share common health and physical
problems caused by desk jobs, eating too much, and
not enough exercise. Excessive body fat is a serious
detriment to health, longevity, stamina, and military
appearance. We need to maintain a high state of
health and physical readiness. If we do that, combat
readiness, personal effectiveness, and high morale
should follow.
Health and physical readiness have become a
matter of concern to the Navy. Every Navy person
should strive to achieve and maintain a high standard
of physical readiness. Members who fail to achieve
high standards hurt their units and the effectiveness of
the Navy. Physical readiness training is a complete
conditioning program. It includes weight control and
nutrition, high blood pressure identification and
control, stress management, smoking cessation, and
back injury prevention.
As a leader, be physically fit and educate your
people in the importance of physical readiness
training. People over the age of 50 are not required to
pass the Physical Readiness Test (PRT). Refer to
SECNAVINST 6100.5 for more information on
physical fitness, and OPNAVINST 6110.1 for specific
PRT guidance.
6-5
SEXUAL RESPONSIBILITY
The Navy does not require its personnel to abstain
totally from sexual relations. However, it does
emphasize the importance of sexual responsibility
and the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases.
Syphilis, gonorrhea, genital herpes, and acquired
immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) are all sexually
transmitted diseases. They are normally spread
through sexual contact. AIDS can also be spread
through contaminated blood or the sharing of
hypodermic needles. Sexually transmitted diseases
are not spread through inanimate objects such as toilet
seats, door knobs, and eating utensils.
The most serious of these diseases is AIDS. The
AIDS virus attacks the body’s immune system. That
results in the body’s inability to fight infection.
Military persons receive live virus vaccines to protect
them from certain illnesses and possible exposure to
serious infections when deployed outside the United
States. These vaccines may be life-threatening to a
person whose immune system has been damaged by
AIDS. At the present time we have no cure for AIDS.
More than 70 percent of all AIDS cases prove fatal
within 2 years of diagnosis.
All members of the Navy should be aware of the
dangers of sexually transmitted diseases and methods
for reducing the risks of getting them. The most
effective way of avoiding sexually transmitted
diseases is to abstain from all forms of sexual contact.
The next most effective means is to use your
intelligence by heeding the following rules:
• Avoid sexual contact with multiple partners,
anonymous partners, prostitutes, and other
persons with multiple sex partners.
• Avoid sexual contact with persons who have a
genital discharge, genital warts, genital herpes
lesions, or other suspicious genital lesions.
• Avoid oral-anal sex.
• Avoid genital contact with cold sores.
• Use condoms and diaphragms in combination
with spermicides.
• Have a periodic examination for sexually
transmitted diseases.
 ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE
The Navy’s policy on drug and alcohol abuse is
“zero tolerance.” The abuse of alcohol and drugs
by Navy members can seriously damage their
physical and mental health, may jeopardize their
safety and the safety of others, and can lead to
criminal prosecution and discharge of Navy
members under less than honorable conditions.
Furthermore, drug and alcohol abuse is inconsistent
with Navy initiatives to promote personal
excellence among its members.
Enhanced detection and deterrence are the major
elements underlying the Navy’s approach to its drug
6-6
and alcohol abuse problem. This approach
emphasizes the firm, constructive use of discipline,
preventive education, rehabilitation, and the
expeditious processing for separation of certain
abusing members.
Take an active role in educating your people on
the pitfalls of alcohol and drug abuse. Explain to
them the devastating effects it has on the Navy, the
family, and the individual. Make yourself aware of
the extent of the problem and of the Navy’s drug and
alcohol abuse policies and related programs. Refer to
OPNAVINST 5350.4 for more information regarding
the Navy’s policy and programs on alcohol and drug
abuse.
 CHAPTER 7
SOCIAL ETIQUETTE
It is by no means enough that an officer of the
Navy should be a capable mariner. He must
be that of course, but also a great deal more.
He should be as well a gentleman of liberal
education, refined manners, punctilious
courtesy, and the nicest sense of personal
honor.
—From letters of John Paul Jones
Social etiquette has changed considerably since
the days of John Paul Jones. Today, in our fast-paced,
mobile, informal 20th-century society, many of the
old customs have disappeared. However, certain
esteemed traditions still survive.
The following pages will discuss some of the
more common situations pertaining to social
etiquette. For a more complete and detailed coverage
of naval social etiquette, refer to the Social Usage and
Protocol Handbook, OPNAVINST 1710.7, and to
Service Etiquette, published by the United States
Naval Institute, Annapolis, Maryland.
Bear in mind that as a naval officer you will deal
with many people whom you do not know personally.
At such times, social customs are practical. They help
to improve life, to get things accomplished quickly, to
smooth the course of friendly gatherings, and to
eliminate friction in our daily contacts with each
other.
PERSONAL DRESS
When you purchase your uniforms and
accessories, we recommend you purchase the best you
can afford. Buying cheap articles works out as poor
economy in the long run—you get what you pay for!
When you are in uniform, make sure you are in a
prescribed uniform of the day. Remember to remain
in that uniform when working in an office or a
stateroom. Correct civilian attire for social events is
equally important. Refer to table 7-1 for guidelines
on attire. The guidelines shown in table 7-1 are based
on the protocol requirements of Washington, D.C. In
other areas of the country, such as California or
Hawaii, social occasions call for far less formal attire.
7-1
When in doubt, inquire as to local custom. The
increased informality in modern-day living dictates a
wide latitude in apparel; therefore, encourage guests
to feel comfortable in whatever they choose to wear.
COMMUNICATIONS
Correct, simple, and thoughtful speech, coupled
with a capacity for intelligent conversation, is one of
the greatest assets you can have.
Ensure your conversation reciprocates, not
monopolizes. Engaging and intelligent conversation
requires, among other things, a broad contact with
literature and familiarity with current events. Devote
time to reading and studying. Cultivate an interest in
national and international affairs. Although
specialization seems to be the order of the day, strive
to maintain a broad point of view to keep the events of
the day in perspective.
Correct telephone speech is extremely important;
poor telephone habits may often lead to
misunderstandings. When placing a call, identify
yourself by name. When answering an office
telephone, identify the office before stating your
name.
Written communication is of equal importance. If
your writing is not clear, readers won’t know what
you want them to do. Confusing or wordy writing
causes readers to waste time figuring out your
meaning or asking for clarification. Your writing is an
expression of your thinking. Refer to the Department
of the Navy Correspondence Manual, SECNAVINST
5216.5, for more details on effective writing.
INVITATIONS
Invitations vary in style and format depending
upon the type of occasion, formal or informal.
FORMAL INVITATIONS
Formal invitations are most appropriate for
formal occasions such as official dinners, receptions,
dances, or official ceremonies. The invitations for
 Table 7-1.—Dress Guidelines

CIVILIAN
MILITARY MEMBERS GENTLEMEN CIVILIAN LADIES

VERY FORMAL FORMAL DRESS TAILCOAT WITH VERY FORMAL

OCCASIONS UNIFORM MATCHING EVENING GOWN
TROUSERS, WHITE
WAISTCOAT,
WING-COLLAR
SHIRT AND WHITE
BOW TIE

FORMAL OCCASIONS

DAYTIME SEASONALLY CUTAWAYS APPROPRIATE TO

APPROPRIATE THE OCCASION AS
SERVICE DRESS STYLE DICTATES
UNIFORM

EVENING SEASONALLY DINNER JACKETS OR FORMAL EVENING

APPROPRIATE TUXEDOS GOWNS
DINNER DRESS
JACKET UNIFORM

INFORMAL SEASONALLY BUSINESS SUITS AFTERNOON

OCCASIONS APPROPRIATE DRESSES OR FOR
SERVICE DRESS EVENING EVENTS,
UNIFORM SHORT DRESSES OF
A DRESSY
MATERIAL, LONG
SKIRTS OR DRESSES,
OR AS CURRENT
STYLES DICTATE

CASUAL OCCASIONS OPEN COLLAR SLACKS OR CASUAL

SHIRT, SWEATER, OR SKIRTS
SPORT COAT

these occasions are generally in one of the following INFORMAL INVITATIONS

forms:
You may give informal invitations for informal
• Fully engraved (the term “engraved” is occasions such as luncheons, dinners, and cocktail
intended to be synonymous with other modes parties by telephone or in writing. You may follow a
of printing such as thermography or raised telephone call with a written “to remind card.”
print)
Informal invitations may be written on informal
• Semi-engraved cards (informals), on calling cards, or on a variety of
invitations available in most stationery stores. You
• Handwritten may also include a short personal note on informal
invitations. Figure 7-1 shows a sample informal
• A phone call followed by a “to remind” card invitation written on a calling card.

7-2
 Figure 7-1.—Informal invitation.

REPLIES TO INVITATIONS
Courtesy demands a response to invitations for Figure 7-2.—Acceptance for dinner. (Handwritten)
brunches, luncheons, and dinners within 24 hours.
Follow this courtesy in consideration of the host or
hostess who must make all arrangements on the basis
of the number attending or invite others in case of and regrets. (These two examples are presented in
regret. Replies to invitations not involving a meal script for purposes of clarity.)
should be sent within 48 hours.
INFORMAL INVITATION REPLIES
Never answer a dinner invitation conditionally or
ask the hostess if you can reply later on. Give a Informal invitations often may omit the R.S.V.P.
definite acceptance or refusal at once. If you accept, entirely or require only a telephone reply. When an
do not permit anything to prevent your attendance informal invitation requests a written reply, write it in
except the most compelling emergency. Unmarried the same degree of formality as the invitation on a
officers should never assume that an invitation calling card, an informal card, or a personal note.
includes a guest of their own selection unless the
invitation so indicates. EXPRESSION OF THANKS

FORMAL INVITATION REPLIES Seldom observed is the formal practice of the

guests’ leaving cards at the hostess’ home within
Generally, formal invitations include a telephone
number for R.S.V.P.s (a French phrase, repondez s’il
vous plait, meaning please reply). If an address is
given for an R.S.V.P., respond with a short note. If an
invitation asks for an R.S.V.P., do not ignore it. The
custom is growing in the United States of indicating
“Please reply to . . .” or “Telephone reply to . . .”
instead of R.S.V.P. This practice urges a reply, which
thereby encourages promptness.
When sending acceptances or regrets in reply to
formal invitations, write them in longhand with black
ink on fine-quality, undecorated, white note paper.
They should follow the form and wording of the
invitation. An acceptance should specify the date,
time, and place if other than the host’s usual
residence. A regret should mention only the date.
Stating the general reason for declining an invitation Figure 7-3.—Regret for dinner. (Handwritten)
is not necessary, but is in good taste. Figures 7-2 and
7-3 are examples of formal handwritten acceptances

7-3
3 days after being entertained at dinner. Today the
thoughtful guest will write a note of appreciation,
telephone, or send flowers. The importance of
expressing your appreciation to your host cannot be
overemphasized.
INTRODUCTIONS
Remember the following three basic rules when
introducing two individuals:
• A man is normally introduced to a woman.
• A younger adult is introduced to an older adult
of the same sex.
• An officer of lower rank is introduced to one of
higher rank.
Most introductions go wrong because a person is
too wordy. The following formats are best:
• “Mrs. Doe—Mr. Boate” (directed to Mrs. Doe)
• “Ensign Door—Chief Warrant Officer Brush”
(directed to Ensign Door)
• “This is Ensign Pistol” spoken to Mrs. Frost;
then to the ensign, “Mrs. Frost”
When formal introductions are necessary (high
church, military, or government officials; royalty; or
guest speakers), use the following formats:
• “Miss Doe, I have the honor to present
Mr. Seaman”
• “Ensign Door, may I present Ensign Boat”
A male officer in civilian clothes and wearing a hat
should uncover on being introduced to a woman. The
officer should remain uncovered while other men of
the party are being introduced to a woman or to each
other in the presence of women. If in uniform, the male
officer is governed by circumstances. To remove your
uniform cap during the introduction is perfectly
correct, but replace it sooner than you would a civilian
hat. The important thing is to convey the idea of
courtesy and to maintain a military appearance.
Following an introduction, the general rule is that
the civilian lady starts the handshake. When two
officers are introduced, the senior officer starts the
handshake.
If seated, a man rises to acknowledge an
introduction and remains standing while other
members of the party are being introduced to one
7-4
another. However, at a table where rising might
inconvenience other persons, he does not rise on
being introduced to either women or men who are
themselves seated.
MISCELLANEOUS GUIDELINES
The following are points of reference and handy
items to know for situations that may confront you:
• Exact protocol is normally observed only in
diplomatic circles and at high-level
governmental affairs.
• Attire for a change of command and retirement
ceremony is usually service dress if you are an
observer. The attire of an officer’s spouse or
date is a tailored dress or business suit. These
ceremonies always provide a printed program
informing guests when to sit and when to rise.
When an admiral or high-ranking dignitary
arrives aboard, civilian women do not stand;
but during rendition of personal honors, ruffles
and flourishes, or gun salutes, women stand at
attention as long as the service members are
saluting.
• Ship’s ceremonies, such as christenings,
commissionings, and changes of command, are
always daytime affairs. Attendance of guests
is by invitation only.
• If you are away, your spouse is not expected to
represent you at official functions except at the
change of command of a friend, when invited.
• Always acknowledge wedding gifts or baby
gifts from shipmates by addressing a thank you
note to the senior member of the group that
sent it.
• When you entertain officially, do it in a manner
you can afford. If others entertain you,
reciprocating is desirable and acceptable. Do
not expect a senior officer to do all the
entertaining.
• To call upon newcomers whose rank is close to
yours is a courteous gesture.
• Never hesitate to call aides or secretaries for
information or guidance.
• If extending an oral invitation, follow up with a
written reminder invitation or at least a
confirming phone call.
• At receptions, the woman precedes the man
through the receiving line; the man gives her
name to the aide or first person in line. The
man precedes the woman at White House and
official Air Force receptions.
7-5
• A senior officer and spouse usually give an “at
home” instead of receiving and returning
formal calls.
• The majority of dinners given by Navy couples
are informal buffets because they are adaptable
to almost any size house, they require a
minimum of service, and you can prepare them
in advance.
 CHAPTER 8
PROFESSIONAL READING
Although you may think you cease to be a student
when you graduate and receive your commission, you
will have to do a great deal of studying and reading as
long as you remain in the Navy. The main difference
is that instead of being taught, you will be doing most
of the studying on your own. Much of your reading
will be necessary to enable you to do your job
properly, to train you for a more responsible job, and
to broaden your general knowledge. While most of
your reading will be professional in nature, try to do
some outside reading. You should have a good
working knowledge of the following publications:
• Navy Regulations, 1990
• Standard Organization and Regulations of the
U.S. Navy, OPNAVINST 3120.32
• Naval Military Personnel Manual (MIL-
PERSMAN), NAVPERS 15560
• Information and Personnel Security Program
Regulation, OPNAVINST 5510.1
• Your command’s organization and regulation
manuals
Your command’s administration office should
have copies of these publications. It can also advise
you on other pertinent manuals you should review. At
the end of this section is a list of periodicals and books
we recommend that you read.
READING HINTS
Use the following procedures to save time and
make your reading of Navy material easier:
• Become familiar with your command’s
inventory of Navy publications/books. Keep up with
the Navy Directives System through its instructions
and notices. Review them every quarter, if possible,
after your command receives the new cumulative
indexes.
• Do not just plunge into the various books and
publications. Look over the field first. See which
ones are available and have been published most
recently.
8-1
• Read the preface or foreword first to learn the
purpose of the book, its intended audience, and how to
use it.
• Scan the chapter titles in the table of contents.
Thumb through the index. Examine paragraph
headings and subtitles, if any, to see what the author
thinks is important. This procedure is also a good
way to read or review a book when you are in a hurry.
COMMAND INDOCTRINATION
Most commands have indoctrination/familiari-
zation courses specifically designed to help you gain
general knowledge of your command’s organization,
equipment, and operations. This general knowledge
will help you no matter what department you are in.
Use these courses as a guideline to help focus your
research into your new job. You can gain most of the
important information you need to properly perform
your duties by answering the questions contained in
each course.
NONRESIDENT TRAINING
A wide variety of nonresident training course are
available to Navy members. More than 100
nonresident training courses are written specifically
for officer training. These courses range from general
military subjects, such as Naval Orientation, to
specific billet packages, such as the Shipboard
Electronics Material Officer, or Engineering Duty
Officer. Most Navy nonresident training packages
consist of the following materials:
• Nonresident training course (NRTC). NRTCs
are self-study courses, which may include exercises,
lessons, or examinations designed to assist the student
in acquiring the knowledge or skill described in the
associated text.
• Text for NRTC. The text for an NRTC may
consist of either (1) a training manual (TRAMAN)
written specifically for a particular NRTC or (2) an
existing Navy manual, directive, or commercially
procured text.
 Review the TRAMANs designed for the enlisted
ratings you will be in charge of. These manuals will
provide you with quick, clear introductions to the
details of Navy equipment and operations. Even if
you do not have the time to study an entire course, you
can use the TRAMAN as a handy reference. Refer to
the List of Training Manuals and Correspondence
Courses, NAVEDTRA 12061, for a complete listing
of available courses and ordering instructions.
THE NAVAL INSTITUTE
The Naval Institute is an association for the
advancement of professional, literary, and scientific
knowledge in the Navy.
The Navy Institute was founded in 1873 by a
group of naval officers. You are eligible for
membership. Dues of $24 per year entitle you to 12
issues of the monthly magazine U.S. Naval Institute
Proceedings. As a member, you can purchase any
Naval Institute book at a reduced price and most
books not published by the institute (except
Government Printing Office books) at a 20 percent
discount. The address of the Naval Institute is as
follows:
Secretary-Treasurer
U.S. Naval Institute
Annapolis, MD 21402
WOMEN OFFICERS’ PROFESSIONAL
ASSOCIATION
The Women Officers’ Professional Association
(WOPA) began as an informal organization in 1978.
Originally known as the Women Officers’
Professional Network, the organization hosted
luncheons featuring prominent speakers and
representatives of organizations whose policies
affected women of the sea service.
Today WOPA serves as a forum for the exchange
of information. The WOPA includes the following
goals:
• Benefiting, fostering, and encouraging the
educational and professional development of
women officers
• Providing forums for discussion of common
issues and concerns affecting women in
military career fields
• Promoting career planning for women officers
in the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard
8-2
• Providing educational materials concerning
matters of interest to women in the sea service
You can obtain more information about WOPA by
writing to the following address:
Women Officers’ Professional Association
P.O. Box 1621
Arlington, VA 22210
YOUR OLD TEXTBOOKS
In the exuberance of graduation and being
commissioned, do not hastily throw away or sell all
your Naval Academy or college textbooks. You may
find some of them useful in the years to come. You
can ship professional books, packed separately from
other effects and labeled as such, on change of station
orders in addition to your weight allowance for
transportation of household goods.
READING LIST
The list of publications that follows is not an
official “must list” of Navy reading. Its purpose is to
introduce you to the types of publications available to
you and familiarize you with some of the titles.
Policy and technology in the Navy change rapidly.
By reviewing the information in these publications,
you can keep abreast of noteworthy events, changes in
technology, changes in safety procedures, promotion
procedures and requirements, and other information
that will assist you in doing your job as a Navy officer.
NAVYWIDE PUBLICATIONS AND NEWS
SOURCES
The following Navy news sources and periodical
publications provide official information on a variety
of subjects:
• Navy News Service, the Navy’s weekly wire
service, provides the latest news and policy
information to the fleet. It is released via message by
the Navy’s Chief of Information (CHINFO) each
Friday and is sent to every Navy command.
• Navy News This Week (NNTW) is a weekly
30-minute video news program distributed by the
Navy Broadcasting Service in Washington, D.C., to
all ships and many shore facilities. Commands are
required to provide facilities that enable all hands to
view this program. Viewing this program is an
excellent way to stay abreast of what is happening in
the Navy.
 • The Naval Aviation News is a monthly
magazine that provides information on aircraft
design, power plants, maintenance, and overhaul
procedures. This magazine is of interest to anyone in
the aviation community.
• Deckplate is published monthly by the Naval
Sea Systems Command for the information and
interest of all members of the naval service. This
periodical discusses the design, construction,
conversion, operation, maintenance, and repair of
naval vessels.
• All Hands magazine, the Navy’s flagship
publication, is published monthly by the Navy
Internal Relations Activity. All Hands takes an
in-depth look at program and personnel issues
affecting sailors and their families. It features
entertaining articles on Navy people, duty stations,
and life around the fleet.
• Link is published quarterly by the Bureau of
Naval Personnel (BUPERS). Link contains detailed
information on education and training programs as
well as information on educational benefits available
to qualified naval personnel. Link also contains
current information in the form of articles written by
the various enlisted and officer detailers.
• Surface Warfare is published bimonthly by the
Chief of Naval Operations. It contains information
for the surface warfare community with the goal of
increasing professionalism and improving fleet
readiness and sustainability.
• Navy safety periodicals. The following
periodicals are published by the Naval Safety Center:
1. Ships Safety Bulletin. This bulletin is MUST
reading for all Navy personnel. It contains current
safety information on naval systems and operations.
2. Fathom. This magazine contains safety
information of interest to all surface-ship and
submarine personnel.
3. Navy Lifeline. This safety and occupational
health journal contains general health and safety
information of interest to all Navy personnel.
4. Approach. This naval aviation safety
review is vital reading for all personnel involved in
flying.
• Perspective is published bimonthly by the
Bureau of Naval Personnel. It contains the latest
8-3
information on the distribution and assignment of
officers.
• Naval War College Review is published
quarterly by the Naval War College. It provides
informative articles on strategy, tactics, naval history,
and recent military events. Each issue also includes
an extensive professional book review section.
• Navy Family Lifeline is a quarterly newspaper
of educational and informative articles and feature
stories of special interest to spouses and families. It is
distributed to commissaries, exchanges, ombudsmen,
medical and dental treatment facilities, and the Navy
Wifeline Association.
Additional periodicals, such as Leatherneck,
Combat Crew, Air Force Magazine, and Marine
Corps Gazette, are often available to you. They offer
interesting reading and up-to-date information
concerning our other military services.
You are encouraged to submit articles to these
publications. Type your article, double spaced, on one
side of the paper. Be sure to include your name, rank,
and duty station on the first page. Address your article
to the editor of the publication, normally via your chain
of command. You will normally find the address of the
publication on the inside front or inside back cover.
You may also send articles of Navywide interest
to the following address:
Commanding Officer
Navy Internal Relations Activity
Naval Station Anacostia
Bldg. 168
2701 South Capitol Street, S.E.
Washington, DC 20374-5081
BOOKS
Junior officers may find many commercial texts
and several Navy publications helpful in introducing
them to the ways of the Navy. You will find most of
the commercial texts available for purchase at your
Navy Exchange, or you can check them out from your
station or ship library. In some cases, these texts
contain nonresident training courses (NRTCs). Check
with your educational services officer (ESO) to enroll
in these courses. The following is a partial list of
these publications:
• Naval Engineer’s Guide, Naval Institute Press,
Annapolis, Md., 1983
 • The Naval Officer’s Guide, 9th Edition, Naval
Institute Press, Annapolis, Md., 1987
• Engineering for the Officer of the Deck, Naval
Institute Press, Annapolis, Md., 1987
• Unrestricted Line Officer Career Planning
Guidebook, OPNAV P-13-1-86, Office of the
Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.,
1986
• Watch Officer’s Guide, 13th Edition, Naval
Institute Press, Annapolis, Md., 1992
• Division Officer’s Guide, 8th Edition, Naval
Institute Press, Annapolis, Md., 1987
• Service Etiquette, 3rd Edition, Naval Institute
Press, Annapolis, Md., 1977
• Naval Ceremonies, Customs and Traditions,
Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Md., 1987
• Social Usage and Protocol Handbook,
OPNAVINST 1710.7, Office of the Chief of
Naval Operations, Washington, D.C., 1979
• To Get the Job Done: Readings in Leadership
and Management, Naval Institute Press,
Annapolis, Md., 1987
BASIC
• All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich M.
Remarque
• American Caesar: Douglas MacArthur
1880-1964, William Manchester
• Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to
Black Holes, Stephen M. Hawking
• Command of the Seas: A Personal Story, John
F. Lehman
• Everything We Had: An Oral History of the
Vietnam War, Al Santoli, ed.
• Flight of the Intruder, Steven Coontz
• Hunt for Red October, Tom Clancy
• In Love and War, James B. and Sybil Stockdale
• In Search of Excellence, Thomas J. Peters
• On Watch, Elmo R. Zumwalt
8-4
• Red Badge of Courage, Stephen Crane
• Red Storm Rising, Tom Clancy
• Run Silent, Run Deep, Edward L. Beach
• The Caine Mutiny, Herman Wouk
• The Cruel Sea, Nicholas Monsarrat
• The Killer Angels, Michael Shaara
• The Right Stuff, Tom Wolfe
• The Russians, Hedrick Smith
• The Sand Pebbles, Richard McKenna
• The Source, James A. Michener
• The United States Navy: A Two Hundred year
History, Edward L. Beach
• Two-Ocean War, Samuel E. Morison
• War and Remembrance, Herman Wouk
• Winds of War, Herman Wouk
INTERMEDIATE
• A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and
America in Vietnam, Neil Sheehan
• Admiral Arleigh Burke: A Biography, E. B.
Potter
• At Dawn We Slept: The Untold Story of Pearl
Harbor, Gordon W. Prange
• Assignment—Pentagon, Perry M. Smith
• Bull Halsey: A Biography, E. B. Potter
• Commander in Chief: Franklin Delano
Roosevelt: His Lieutenants and Their War,
Eric Larrabee
• Chrysanthemum and the Sword: Patterns of
Japanese Culture, Ruth Benedict
• Eagle Against the Sun: An American War with
Japan, Ronald H. Spector
• Eisenhower: At War, 1943-1945, David
Eisenhower
• Fate Is the Hunter, Ernest K. Gann
• First to Fight: An Inside View of the U.S.
Marine Corps, Victor H. Krulak
• From Hiroshima to Glasnost, Paul Nitze
• Kaizen: The Key to Japan’s Competitive
Success, Masaaki Imai
• Makers of Modern Strategy, Peter Paret
• Master of Seapower: A Biography of Fleet
Admiral Ernest J. King, Thomas Buell
• Miracle at Midway, Gordon W. Prange
• Modern Times: The World From the Twenties
to the Eighties, Paul Johnson
• Mountbatten, Philip Ziegler
• Nelson, The Biography, David Walder
• Nimitz, E. B. Potter
• Out of the Crisis, W. Edwards Deming
• Presidential Management of National Security,
Carnes Lord
ADVANCED
• The Deming Management System, Mary
Walton
• The Guns of August, Barbara W. Tuchman
• The Maritime Strategy, Geopolitics and the
Defense of the West, Colin S. Gray
• The Mask of Command, John Keegan
• The Pentagon and the Art of War, Edward N.
Luttwak
• The Quiet Warrior, Thomas Buell
• Today’s Isms: Communism, Facism,
Capitalism, Socialism, William Ebenstien and
Edwin Fogelman
• Sea Power: A Navy History, E. B. Potter and
Chester Nimitz
• Silent Victory: The U.S. Submarine War
Against Japan, Blair, Clay, and Lippencott
• The American Way of War, Russell F. Weigley
• The Atlantic Campaign: World War II’s Great
Struggle at Sea, Dan Van Der Vat
8-5
• The Future of Sea Power, Eric J. Grove
• The KGB Today: The Hidden Land, John
Barron
• The Face of Battle, John Keegan
• The Last Lion: Visions of Glory, 1874-1932,
William Manchester
• The Last Lion: Alone 1932-40, William
Manchester
• The Price of Admiralty, John Keegan
• The Rise of American Naval Forces,
1776-1918, Harold and Margaret Sprout
• The Rivals: America and Russia Since WW II,
Adam B. Ulam
• The Second World War, John Keegan
• The U.S. and the Origins of the Cold War, John
L. Gaddis
• Vietnam: A History, Stanley Karnow
• America at Century’s End, James R.
Schlesinger
• Cold Dawn: The Story of SALT, John
Newhouse
• Democracy in America, Alexis de Toqueville
• Deterrence in American Foreign Policy:
Theory and Practice, Alexander George
• Fleet Tactics: Theory & Practice, Wayne P.
Hughes
• From Beirut to Jerusalem, Thomas L.
Friedman
• How Democracies Perish, Jean-Francois Revel
• Man, the State and War: A Theoretical
Analysis, Kenneth N. Waltz
• Military Strategy: A Naval Theory of Power
Control, Joseph C. Wylie
• Origins of the Maritime Strategy: American
Naval Strategy in the First Postwar Decade,
Michael A. Palmer
 • On War, Carl Von Clausewitz • Naval Regional Librarian, GROTON
P.O. Box 52
• Power & Change: The Administrative History
Bldg. 83, Rm. B7
of the Office of the CNO, Thomas C. Home
Naval Submarine Base, New London
• Seapower and Strategy, Colin S. Gray and (Code N332GR)
Roger Barnett Groton, CT 06349-5052
DSN 241-4655; Commercial (203) 449-4655
• Some Principles of Maritime Strategy, Julian S.
Corbett
• Strategy for Defeat: Vietnam in Retrospect, U.
S. Grant Sharp
• Strategy: The Logic of War and Peace, Edward • Naval Regional Librarian, NORFOLK
N. Luttwak NETSCLANT (Code N33)
Bldg. Z86
• The Art of War, Sun Tzu Naval Station
• The Geopolitics of Superpowers, Colin S. Gray Norfolk, VA 23511
DSN 564-7951;
• The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, Commercial (804) 444-7951/2/3
Alfred T. Mahan
• The Soldier and the State: The Theory &
Politics of Civil-Military Relations, Samuel P.
Huntington
• Naval Regional Librarian, SAN DIEGO
• The White House Years, Henry Kissinger P.O. Box 222
• The U.S. Navy: The View From the Mid-1990s, Naval Station
James L. George San Diego, CA 92136-5222
DSN 526-4927; Commercial (619) 556-4927
• The Ultra Secret, F. W. Winterbotham
• U.S. Defense Policy in an Era of Constrained
Resources, Robert L. Pfaltzgraff, Jr., and
Richard H. Shultz, Jr. • Naval Regional Librarian, SAN FRANCISCO
• War and Politics, Bernard Brodie Bldg. 29B
Naval Station
NAVY LIBRARIES Treasure Island, San Francisco, CA
94130-5024
You can get additional information concerning DSN 869-6300; Commercial (415) 765-6300
publications on various subjects from six naval
regional librarians. Contact these librarians at the
following addresses:

• Naval Regional Librarian, CHARLESTON • Naval Regional Librarian, PEARL HARBOR

NETSCLANT Field Officer (Code N331CH) Education and Training Support Detachment
Bldg. 232 Box 526
Naval Base Bldg. 408
Charleston, SC 29408 Pearl Harbor, HI 96860-5400
Defense Switched Network (DSN) DSN 471-8396, Operator 20
563-2905; Commercial (803) 743-2905 Commercial (808) 471-8391/2/4

8-6
 CHAPTER 9
OPPORTUNITY FOR EDUCATION
You will continually receive training throughout
your career as a naval officer. You must make the
choice to take advantage of the Navy’s many
educational opportunities that are compatible with
your personal desires and chosen career plans. The
subspecialty coding system discussed in chapter 1
signifies the importance the Navy places on
education. Subspecialty codes identify a person’s
level of education or skill in specific fields.
EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE
The Navy offers educational opportunities to its
members both on a full-time and part-time basis. The
Navy encourages you to participate in off-duty
education while on active duty. The Navy provides
several programs and offices designed to assist you in
your educational goals.
NAVY CAMPUS
The Navy Campus Program can assist you in
continuing your education. The Navy Campus
Program is a voluntary educational program staffed
by a worldwide network of educational advisers at
major commands.
Navy Campus opens doors to civilian colleges for
military personnel and enables them to pursue all
levels of education wherever they are stationed. Navy
personnel may obtain academic credit from civilian
schools for certain educational or work experiences
completed while performing normal military
assignments. Refer to your local Navy Campus office
for more information about this program.
EDUCATIONAL SERVICES OFFICE
Your local Educational Services Office is an
excellent source of information concerning
educational programs. In fact, many junior officers
serve as the educational services officer (ESO) as a
collateral duty. The more you know about
educational programs, the more you can help yourself
and the people who work for you.
9-1
DEFENSE ACTIVITY FOR
NONTRADITIONAL EDUCATION
SUPPORT
The Defense Activity for Nontraditional
Education Support (DANTES) is a Department of
Defense (DOD) agency. It supports the voluntary
educational programs of each military service,
including Reserve personnel. DOD authorized the
establishment of DANTES after the disestablishment
of the old United States Armed Forces Institute
(USAFI). DANTES is located at the Naval Education
and Training Program Management Support Activity,
Pensacola, Florida. Some of the services provided by
DANTES are as follows:
• Providing a wide range of examination and
certification programs
• Operating an independent study support
system
• Providing for the evaluation of military
learning experiences
• Providing educational and informational
materials
• Providing support for new educational
development activities
Refer to your local Navy Campus or Educational
Services Office for more information about
DANTES.
TUITION ASSISTANCE
The Tuition Assistance (TA) Program provides
in-service financial assistance to all personnel
wishing to take part in voluntary off-duty education.
It does not affect Veterans’ Affairs (VA) entitlements.
A complete listing of eligible tuition assistance
institutions is in Accredited Institutions of Post
Secondary Education. See your local Navy Campus
or Educational Services Office for more information.
 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR
OFFICER PERSONNEL
The Navy offers the following professional
development programs to provide qualified officers
the opportunity to further their education. Contact
your local Educational Services Office about these
programs.
COLLEGE DEGREE PROGRAM
The College Degree Program provides an
opportunity for active-duty naval officers in the
grades of chief warrant officer (W-2) through
commander to earn baccalaureate degrees in
approved service-related fields through full-time
study at civilian educational institutions. Participants
receive full pay and allowances, but they must pay
their tuition and all other program expenses. Refer to
OPNAVINST 1520.26 for detailed eligibility
requirements and application procedures.
WHITE HOUSE FELLOWS PROGRAM
The White House Fellows Program provides
experiences in the process of governing our nation.
Selectees for this program are assigned for a period of
1 year to the White House staff, the Vice President,
members of the Cabinet, or other top-level offices in
the executive branch. You can obtain detailed
instructions, eligibility requirements, and application
procedures on this program by writing to the
following address:
Chief of Naval Personnel
WHF Program Manager (Pers-440)
Navy Department
Washington, D.C. 20370
DEFENSE LANGUAGE PROGRAMS
Designated officer billets require foreign
language proficiency. Officers desiring an
assignment that requires foreign language training
should submit a letter to their detailer specifying the
type of assignment desired. Officers selected for this
program serve on active duty following graduation for
a period of twice the length of the instruction
received. For more information, refer to
OPNAVINST 1550.7 and CNETINST 1550.9.
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GRADUATE EDUCATION
The Navy places great importance on graduate
education. Graduate education is specifically aimed at
the Navy’s best and brightest performers, with the
goal of educating 20 percent of the officer corps. The
Navy needs officers with the skills to perform
important operational and theoretical work in policy,
managerial, and scientific fields. The Navy also
needs officers educated for sustained contributions
vice those in training for the next assignment only.
Officers must volunteer for Navy-funded
graduate education. Those who take advantage of this
opportunity incur obligated service. Officers
interested in graduate education should contact the
Graduate Education Placement Officer (Pers-440B),
DSN 224-3321; commercial (703) 614-3321.
Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey
The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in
Monterey, California, is in the forefront of
postgraduate opportunities. It is committed to the
strength and vitality of our future leadership.
Students at NPS work with the highest caliber naval
officers and faculty. As NPS graduates, officers direct
national security and naval matters with the
confidence and intellectual competence required of
future leaders. Detailed information on the
postgraduate curriculum conducted at NPS may be
found in the Catalog of Naval Postgraduate School.
Other references include OPNAVINST 1520.23 and
OPNAVNOTE 1520.
Advanced Education Program
The Advanced Education Program allows
active-duty officers to engage in full-time, personally
funded graduate education, resulting in a subspecialty
designation. Participants receive regular pay and
allowances, but they must pay their tuition and all
other expenses. They are not eligible for Navy tuition
assistance; however, they may use their in-service
Veterans’ Affairs (VA) educational benefits if eligible.
OPNAVINST 1520.30 contains detailed information
about this program.
Scholarship Program
The Scholarship Program permits selected
officers to accept scholarships, fellowships, and
grants from eligible donors. Officers selected for this
program serve on active duty following graduation for
a period three times the length of the period in the
program, in addition to any other prior service
obligation. Refer to OPNAVINST 1520.24 for
detailed information concerning this program.
Officer Law Education Program
The Officer Law Education Program allows
selected naval officers to enter an American Bar
Association (ABA) accredited law school for up to 36
months. Selectees may enter the school to pursue a
bachelor of law or juris doctor degree, which may
lead to service as a Judge Advocate General (JAG)
Corps officer. For more information on this program,
refer to SECNAVINST 1520.7.
VETERANS’ AFFAIRS EDUCATIONAL
ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA)
manages the following three educational assistance
programs for active service members and veterans:
• Vietnam Era GI Bill Conversion
• Veterans’ Educational Assistance Program
(VEAP)
• Montgomery GI Bill of 1984 (new GI Bill)
VIETNAM ERA GI BILL CONVERSION
Those individuals who had remaining entitlement
under the Vietnam Era GI Bill on 31 December 1989
9-3
are eligible for Montgomery GI Bill benefits.
However, they must have served on active duty
without a break in service from 19 October 1984 to 30
June 1987 or 1988. They must also serve 4 years in
the Selected Reserve after release from active duty.
VETERANS’ EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE
PROGRAM
The Veterans’ Educational Assistance Program
(VEAP) is a voluntary, contributory educational
financial assistance program. It is available to
personnel who entered the Navy during the period
from 1 January 1977 through 30 June 1985. This
program was terminated on 1 April 1987.
MONTGOMERY GI BILL ACT OF 1984
Beginning on 1 July 1985, nonprior service
members entering active duty began receiving
educational benefits under the Montgomery GI Bill
(MGIB). Service members eligible for the Vietnam
Era GI Bill may also be eligible to receive benefits
under the MGIB as of 1 January 1990. Service
members who entered active duty after 31 December
1979 and are eligible for the Veterans’ Educational
Assistance Program (VEAP) are not eligible for the
MGIB.
For detailed information on VA programs, contact
your local VA or Navy Campus office or refer to
OPNAVINST 1780.3.
 APPENDIX I

OFFICER PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT PATHS

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View A. Surface Warfare Officer.

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View B. Surface Warfare Officer Nuclear.

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View C. Nuclear Submarine Officer.

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View D. Aviation Officer.

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View E. Naval Special Warfare Officer.

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View F. Special Operations Officer.

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View G. General URL Career Path.

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View H. General Supply Corps Officer.

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 APPENDIX II

ABBREVIATIONS USED IN ORDERS

RELATING TO TRANSFER AND
ASSIGNMENT OF NAVAL
PERSONNEL

ACDU Active duty

ACDUINS Active duty under instruction
ADDELREP If no excess leave involved, authorized a certain number
of days additional delay in reporting, which counts as
leave
ADDU Additional duty
ADSD Active duty service date
CARBASORD Carry out remainder of basic orders
CERTQUAR Certify nonavailability of government quarters and
government mess or officers mess in accordance with
Joint Federal Travel Regulations, volume 1, chapter 4,
part E.
CLCVN Class convening
COI Course of instruction
COMPL Upon completion thereof
CONDUCTVIEW Command delivering orders to conduct interview
required by current instructions before delivery
CONUS Continental United States
DELREP If no excess leave involved, authorized a certain number
of days (or a specific date) to delay in reporting, which
counts as leave. Keep old and new station advised of
address.
DIRHSG Report to appropriate housing referral office before
negotiating an agreement for offbase housing
DUINS Duty under instruction
DUSTA Duty station
EDA Estimated date of arrival
EDD Estimated date of detachment
EDVR Enlisted Distribution Verification Report
FFT For further transfer
FURAS For further assignment
IAW In accordance with
ICO In case of
ICW In connection with

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IMMUN Obtain appropriate immunization in accordance with
BUMEDINST 6230.3
MAPTIS Manpower, Personnel and Training Information Systems
NA Naval aviator
NET Not earlier than
NFO Naval flight officer
NLT On or before but not later than
ORDMOD Orders (identified by date or message reference numbers
following) modified
OUTUS Outside continental United States
PCS Permanent change of station
PERSUPPDET Personnel Support Detachment
PORICH Port in which (activity designated may be)
POC Privately owned conveyance
PROREP Proceed and report
PROVMAIN Other provisions to basic orders remain in effect
SNA Student naval aviator
SNFO Student naval flight officer
TEMADD Temporary additional duty
TEMADDINS Temporary additional duty under instruction
TEMDU Temporary duty
TEMDUINS Temporary duty under instruction
TVL Travel
UNORDCAN Unexecuted portion of orders (identified by date or
message reference numbers following) canceled

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 APPENDIX III

NAVY LODGES

There are more than 1,500 Navy Lodge units at various locations in the United
States and overseas. Navy Lodges provide comfortable, convenient, and
inexpensive temporary lodging for Navy personnel and their families. Though
personnel traveling under permanent change of station (PCS) orders have priority,
the facilities are also open to personnel under other circumstances. Take advantage
of the availability of lodges; you can save yourself a considerable amount of money
on your temporary lodging needs. A Navy lodge central reservation office has been
established to assist military families in obtaining accommodations. A deposit is
required in most instances for late arrivals. The price and type of accommodations to
be furnished will vary from station to station. Visa or Master Cards are accepted. No
pets are permitted at Navy lodges. Reservations may be made using the following
toll free numbers:

• Continental United States: 1-800-628-9466 (NAVY INN)

• Overseas: DSN 565-2027

NAVY LODGE LOCATIONS

CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES OVERSEAS
Alaska Maine Cuba
–Adak –Brunswick –Guantanamo Bay
California Maryland Iceland
–Alameda –Bethesda –Keflavik
–El Centro Mississippi Japan
–Lemoore –Gulfport –Atsugi
–Long Beach New Jersey –Yokosuka
–Miramar –Lakehurst Spain
–Moffet Field Pennsylvania –Rota
–North Island –Philadelphia United Kingdom
–Port Hueneme Rhode Island –Edzell, Scotland
–San Diego –Newport
Connecticut South Carolina
–Groton –Charleston
Florida Tennessee
–Cecil Field –Memphis
–Jacksonville Texas
–Mayport –Beeville
–Pensacola –Corpus Christi
Georgia Virginia
–Kings Bay –Little Creek
Illinois –Norfolk
–Great Lakes Washington, D.C.
Louisiana
–New Orleans

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 APPENDIX IV

HELPFUL HINTS FOR YOUR MOVE

FOUR TO SIX WEEKS BEFORE MOVING DAY:

• Keep a notebook handy to jot down things you should do and any questions
that might arise.

• Remember that each shipment requires at least 10 copies of your orders.

• Tour your quarters from top to bottom and decide what you will move and
what you will discard.

• Call the nearest personal property transportation officer and arrange for a
premove interview. The earlier you make the arrangements, the better. Some
offices work only on an appointment basis.

• Let the post office know when you will be moving, what your new address
will be, and if you need a temporary forwarding address.

• Prepare a list of friends, relatives, and business firms to notify of your change
of address. Send out change-of-address cards immediately. Magazines and
other monthly publications require at least 4 to 5 weeks’ notice.

• Collect your children’s school records and credentials. Also arrange to get
any necessary letters of introduction or recommendations required for
professional or social endeavors at your new address.

• Check with city and county assessors to see if you owe any taxes.
• Contact your insurance agency and arrange to transfer your policy coverage
to your new address.

TWO OR THREE WEEKS BEFORE MOVING DAY:

• Prepare your automobile for the trip. Equip your car with tools for emergency
use, such as lines, flares, and flashlights. Notify the Department of Motor
Vehicles of your change of address.

• Arrange to close or transfer all charge accounts with local businesses.

• Arrange with your bank and other financial institutions to have your
checking and savings accounts transferred. Transfer items from safety
deposit boxes. For immediate needs, or until your credit is established in the
new town, you may want to use traveler’s checks.

ONE WEEK BEFORE MOVING DAY:

• Collect all items being cleaned, stored, or repaired. Return library books and
items borrowed from friends and neighbors.

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 • Notify delivery services, such as milk, laundry, and newspaper services, to
discontinue service.

• Make appointments with any service representative needed to disconnect

your appliances. Try to have appliances disconnected the day before you
move.

• Make arrangements for transportation of your pets and plants unless you plan
to take them in the car. Check with a veterinarian about proper
immunizations. Check with your new command about possible prohibitions
of any animals or plants.

• Make a list of absolute necessities your infants and children use in the course
of a day. Plan entertainment for the older children while traveling.

TWO OR THREE DAYS BEFORE MOVING DAY:

• Wash and iron soiled clothing.

• Make arrangements for the disposition of unauthorized items of shipment,
such as alcoholic beverages; boats; motors; large automotive parts; building
materials; paints; aerosol cans; flammable items such as fireworks, cleaning
fluids, paints, and matches; and half-used cans or bottles of substances that
might leak or cause damage. Drain gas and oil from power mowers and leave
the cap off so the fumes evaporate before shipment.

THE DAY BEFORE MOVING DAY:

• Place the things to be packed together in separate groups.

• Prepare a list of items you will need immediately upon arrival at your new
home. Remember to ask the packer to load these items last and unload them
first.

• Disconnect and prepare your appliances for shipment.

• Have your utility meters read.
• Loosen any rugs or carpets that are secured to the floor.
• Remove outside TV antennas and window air conditioners. Remove articles
from the walls. Dismantle swing sets.

MOVING DAY:

• Be on hand when the movers arrive. Remain on the premises until all your
goods are loaded.

• Keep children and pets out of the way of the moving van and crew.
• Accompany the carrier’s representative through the house as each piece of
furniture is inspected, tagged, and listed on the inventory.

• Let the carrier do all the packing, and make sure the inventory is not shown as
“packed by owner.”

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 • Make a final tour to ensure all items have been loaded.
• Any mix-up as far as what the carrier takes or leaves is your responsibility. If
you are making more than one shipment, be sure the right carrier gets the
right goods. Check to see that all shipping documents show the correct
destination.

• Be sure you and the carrier’s representative sign the inventory and the bill of
lading. Keep a copy of these documents for your personal files.

WHEN YOU ARRIVE AT YOUR DESTINATION:

• Contact the destination personal property transportation office as soon as you

arrive so that the office will know how to reach you when your property
arrives.

• Be sure your house is ready for occupancy, have the house keys available, and
be on hand to accept delivery.

• Phone utility companies to make the necessary arrangements for service.

• Plan the placement of your furniture. When unloading, the van operator and
assistants will place each piece of furniture one time as you direct, including
laying rugs, setting up beds, and so on.

• If you waive the unpacking, the carrier is not required to return to pick up the
empty cartons after you finish unpacking, and you could jeopardize your
claim if anything is lost or damaged. It is recommended you let the carrier do
the unpacking and remove the packing materials debris.

• Do not sign any delivery document until the carrier’s representative has
completed everything required of the carrier. However, don’t refuse to sign
these documents before the carrier’s representative leaves as long as you
have noted any loss or damage on the inventory. Remember that notations on
the inventory do not initiate a claim—they are merely a record of the facts.

• Report any loss or damage to the destination personal property transportation

officer, who may send a household goods inspector to your house. You must
file a written claim for loss or damage through the claims section.

• Ensure you receive and complete the customer satisfaction report (DD 1781).
Forward this report to the destination transportation office within 5 days.

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